New Covent Garden Market: Second phase of redevelopment completed

Redevelopment works at the UK’s largest wholesale fruit, vegetable and flower market continues to advance with VINCI St. Modwen (VSM), the 50/50 joint venture between St. Modwen Properties Ltd and VINCI PLC, completing and handing over 131,481 sq. ft. of new fruit & vegetable market units to development partner, Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA).

The new section (Phase A2) is designed to house 24 market businesses in state-of-the-art facilities and forms the second of six construction phases. Following beneficial access earlier in June, market traders have begun to fit out their new units in readiness to transfer their businesses to open in October this year.

New market units delivered to date across the site now total 217,689 sq. ft. and work on the third phase is scheduled to begin in October.

The works are part of the wider redevelopment of the New Covent Garden Market site, a landmark multi-phased project and the largest development site in the Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea Opportunity Area.

The mixed-use project has already seen the delivery of a new Interim Flower Market in 2017 and a stunning new Food Exchange, which houses the Market Authority and provides workspace for growing food businesses, including the Mission Kitchen initiative, as the foundation of a new Food Quarter for London.

A new entrance plaza and security facility now welcomes customers and visitors with a refurbished multi-storey car park and a brand new recycling and waste on-site facility, which features 5-a-side football pitches for community use on the upper level and on the roof.

Nick Harrington, senior construction manager at St. Modwen, said: “We would like to offer huge congratulations to our team and VINCI for delivering this high-quality complex project on schedule in the challenging period during the pandemic and, in particular, ensuring the market continued to trade throughout.

“This is not just about building a new wholesale fruit and vegetable market - we are contributing to maintaining the local supply of fresh food in London and helping establish a whole new food quarter for the city. We are already planning to push on with next phase in October and looking forward to continuing our strong partnership with the Covent Garden Market Authority.”

David Frankish, executive chair of Covent Garden market authority, said: “This is another important milestone for the Market. With each completed phase, the Market community is seeing real progress and while there is still a way to go until the programme completes in January 2027, the fact that we are visibly on schedule is giving everyone here a boost of confidence.

“We continue to work extremely hard with VSM to create facilities that will ensure NCGM remains a link in the food, drink and flower supply chain for London and the South East for many years to come.”