Trouble at the Troc ; the Trocadero's Decline Into a Gang-Ridden Wasteland Continues and It Ruins Those Who Try to Rescue It. Now It's Up for Sale Again. Can Anyone Save the Black Hole of Piccadilly, Asks Clare Longrigg

Summary

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For sale: 500,000sq ft of prime West End property at the knockdown price of Pounds 210 million. Irresistible challenge for fearless entrepreneur. Must

be prepared to invest almost as much again as the asking price. Enthusiasm for escalators an advantage. The Trocadero, once touted as the future of the leisure industry, more recently known as the black hole of Piccadilly, is on the market. After a stomach- churning ride for shareholders and investors, Burford Holdings, the company that turned this white elephant into a giant entertainment complex, has finally decided to get shot of it. As potential bidders line up, the big question is, does anyone have what it takes to transform this tired and seedy site?

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Trouble at the Troc ; the Trocadero's Decline Into a Gang-Ridden Wasteland Continues and It Ruins Those Who Try to Rescue It. Now It's Up for Sale Again. Can Anyone Save the Black Hole of Piccadilly, Asks Clare Longrigg

Burford's development surveyor, Mark Boyes, is handling the sale. 'I have been very busy showing people around the site,' he says. 'We will be calling in bids in the middle of May. Prospective plans range from leaving it as it is to wholesale redevelopment.

We want to make sure we sell it for the best price to the best purchaser.'

Prospective buyers would do well to look beyond Boyes' sales patter. On a damp midweek night in Piccadilly, the Trocadero offers little in the way of entertainment. Outside on the street, groups of young men in grubby zip-tops loiter purposefully.

One of the biggest problems any potential buyer faces is the violent gangs who have colonised the area. Local residents have complained of high levels of drug dealing and mugging. Westmins...

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