Crossrail denies wharf office deal

Trade magazine Property Week reported Transport for London had agreed terms for 116,074 sq ft of office space in Citi’s tower at 25 Canada Square.

But a spokesman for the team behind the £16billion London rail link said a deal had yet to be done.

Citi’s tower is one of three sites believed to be on the shortlist for Crossrail’s new home, with Allied London’s Aldersgate building and Clifford Chance’s 10 Upper Bank Street building in Canary Wharf also under consideration by the company.

A spokesman for Cross London Rail Links Ltd said: “The lease on our current suite of offices, within Portland House, is due to expire in 2009.

“We are reviewing our requirements and are investigating various options. We have asked TfL to negotiate on our behalf. No decision has yet been made on a new location.”

The ambitious rail scheme will run from Maidenhead to Shenfield, with services to Heathrow airport, the City and Canary Wharf. It was finally green-lit by the Government last October after spending 18 years in the pipeline.

It is now making its way through parliament with a view to being given Royal Assent before the summer recess on July 22. It has already passed through a House of Commons Select Committee, and a Lords committee submitted its report late last month.

Construction is not expected until 2010, but ships in West India Dock such as the SS Robin, must complete repairs before the end of the year. They will then return to the dock, where they will be sealed in for around five years while it is partially drained to facilitate the construction of the Isle of Dogs station.

The trustees of the Grade I-listed steamship SS Robin have been working with Cutty Sark experts on preparations for its repair project, including the removal and storage of its mast. It is expected to leave the dock this month to undergo hull work.