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There’s so much to do and see in London that you could live here for years and still miss out on some pretty impressive sights. For instance, you’ve almost certainly spent an afternoon or two checking out Covent Garden and Holborn, but you may have never noticed Sicilian Avenue, a gorgeous little side street right next to Holborn tube.
If you have noticed the marble street, which runs diagonally between Southampton Row and Bloomsbury Way, you’ll be pleased to know it’s finally set to proper reopen this summer, after five years of renovation work is nearing completion.
The avenue is named after its luxurious architectural style, which feels almost European. Built in 1906, it’s home to several turrets, golden building names, and Grade II listed buildings, and is also a pretty convenient shortcut. It opened back up last year for pedestrians, but its buildings have remained uninhabited.
Developers Tristan Capital Partners have been working for the last five years to perform a ‘complete restoration’ of the area, which they hope will ‘[reform] the historical pedestrian avenue into Bloomsbury’s most sought-after shopping and dining destination.’ Pretty big ambitions.
A spokesperson for Alchemy Asset Management, which has also been working on the project, said that: ‘As the development manager… We have dealt with many challenges. However, due to its rich history and architectural elegance, the structural adaptation has been hugely worthwhile in terms of the fantastic product we have been able to create.’
So what can we expect from the summertime reopening? Tenants are still applying for spaces on the Avenue, so we don’t know exactly who will be moving in, but we do know that it will be a mix of cafes, bars, restaurants, and retail owners. Developers are hoping for six establishments to be ready for business by summer. Given the area, you can expect well established businesses and high-end boutiques.
There’s no exact date yet, but you can still pop by anytime to have a good look at some brilliant Edwardian London architecture. That’s worth the trip on its own.
Soho’s new ‘full nudity’ strip club has been approved to open.
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