Employer attempts to lure home workers back with Olympic-sized lido
LOS ANGELES: An employer is endeavouring to lure back the work from home “mob” with a basket full of “goodies”.
The owners of Canary Wharf plan to build a 50-metre-long lido in an attempt to lure more workers back to the business district.
Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has submitted a planning application for a “floating, natural water” pool with six lanes, accompanied by saunas, a clubhouse and a restaurant.
The Olympic-sized lido marks the latest effort to reinvent the area in Tower Hamlets, east London, which has suffered from a rise in the number of people working from home post-Covid.
This has prompted bosses to explore more inventive ways to boost Canary Wharf’s appeal, particularly after a string of high-profile companies quit the district, including law firm Clifford Chance and ratings agency Moody’s.
As well as proposals for a lido, CWG is also attempting to build new flats and restaurants.
This has sparked signs of a recent revival for the area.
HSBC recently unveiled plans to remain in the district for at least 15 years, reversing a previous decision to move all of its London operations to the City.
Spanish bank BBVA also recently agreed to expand its office space in Canary Wharf and extend its lease, joining existing tenants such as Barclays, JP Morgan, Citibank and Morgan Stanley in recommitting to the area.
Consequently, the value of some of CWG’s biggest offices is said to have recovered for the first time in three years.
A £2bn portfolio covering around half of its offices has edged up in value by 0.6pc between March and June this year, according to data from CWG, following 11 straight quarters of static or falling values.
Pippa Dale, of CWG, said the lido was designed to appeal to visitors and residents as well as those working in the area.
Operated by Sea Lanes, the lido would open next summer if it gains planning consent from Tower Hamlets council.
As well as installing a temporary zip-wire running from the top of one of its skyscrapers, the developers also opened a sprawling waterside garden project called Eden Dock last year.
Recent redevelopment efforts, along with a rise in returning workers, have led to a surge in footfall to 72 million visitors at its shopping malls in 2024, rising from 67 million in 2023 and 54 million in 2022.