Having the right atmosphere in the town is key to attracting prestige occupiers to Croydon according to a leading figure behind the vast Ruskin Square mixed use programme.
HMRC will shortly move into the first of five Grade A office developments being delivered on the nine-acre site next to East Croydon station and has taken an option on the second.
Neil Meredith, head of asset management at Schroders, says making Croydon the kind of place people want to live is key to attracting other major employers out of Central London.
Boxpark Croydon has recently opened as a meanwhile use venue at Ruskin Square with 40 food and drink outlets having proved hugely popular in the weeks since launching at the end of October.
And Mr Meredith told the Develop Croydon Conference: “One of the most important things is that we have the right kind of atmosphere in the town.
“Every single occupier I talk to says that where their staff want to live and want to work is crucially important.
“If Croydon wants to do that, it has to make sure that more occupiers invest here.
“So that’s why we’re investing here, we believe the story. It’s fantastic what’s happening with Fairfield Halls, it’s fantastic what’s happening with the Croydon Partnership – Westfield and Hammerson.
“The key for us is that people want to work and live here again.
Mr Meredith said one of the keys to Croydon’s success was creating a better place and that was why investment had been made in a walkway which will link the new bridge at East Croydon Station with the town centre and the £1.4billion town centre retail and leisure development when it is completed.
“We’ve been here for 13 or 14 years and I can’t tell you how many masterplans we’ve done trying to work out the different things,” he added.
“But the key one for us was walking with the council getting the walkway through when the Westfield and Hammerson came up with their proposals. That wasn’t in the original masterplans.”
Roger Wade, founder of Boxpark, believes that vision of a joined-up strategy was one of the reasons why he was able to come to Croydon.
“I think one of the reasons why our landlord Schroder chose Boxpark, is because they’re not just selling office spaces as Neil said; they’re selling places for people to come and live and work,” said Mr Wade.
“Fundamental to that, people are going to ask where am I going to eat and drink? Where am I going to go out? That was a major question mark for Croydon. Six months ago I was walking down the high street and it was empty. But now people are coming to Croydon, they are amazed by what is in Croydon.
“This place is so ripe for good business and the reception we’ve had in the last two weeks has been incredible – I hope it spills out to all of Croydon, the South Croydon, to entire areas. We need people to believe in Croydon again.”