Construction at The Green in 2006
March 2006
I was able to snatch four photos on March 21st. I believe the leisure centre for one had had its topping out ceremony sometime in the previous few months. The first photo is particularly interesting for showing that the bus station had come on by leaps and bounds since the previous photos.
May 2006
Walking around The Green on 3rd May, the new bus station can be seen to be coming along nicely, although talk of it opening at the end of May or June seem to have been somewhat premature.
The sites either side of the concourse seem to be an unchanging mass of scaffolding every time I visit but presumably a lot is going out of camera view.
July 2006
A return to the usual two photos on 7th July. What I really need is a photo looking into the south side of the site as things look more finished from that direction.
August 2006
On 18th August I remembered to take my camera with me when I returned to the area and particularly focussed on the south end of the development. The photos show a building behind the main one which is looking more complete. This might be the new Primary Care Health Centre or indeed it might not be. The interesting feature in these photos is that St George's car park has had the ugly wall stripped away. Indeed it seems it is undergoing a £2.5 million refurbishment.
The last photo doesn't quite work as I intended it to but is meant to be focussing on the bus station across The Green. I suppose the view could look worse. Talking of the bus station, rumour has it that it might perhaps open in September. Apparently there was no provision for public toilets in the design and the various interested parties (St Modwen, Enfield Council, Transport for London) have finally agreed between them to fund them and then try and find somewhere to put them. More worrying, and apparently a major cause of the delay to the opening, is that apparently the bus station was built with no agreement between St Modwen and Transport for London over the final design and in particular the location of the entrances and exits.
April 2007 Comments
I never had the chance to take any more photos of the developments which have moved on quite a bit. Passing by in April 2007 I could see that all the scaffolding had gone and it does rather look like this part of the project is mostly complete. Indeed I noticed a 'Subway' sandwich shop open, or looking ready to open, on the north side of the new entrance and it looked like one or two units were in use further inside. I am reliably informed that the wind really rips around this new area which is unfortunate.
The building I mentioned above is indeed the Evergeen Primary Care Centre, which has the address 1 Smythe Close, and I've read it was due to open in March though whether it did I can't say.
The multi-storey car park is looking a whole lot better now having been smartened up externally and having had the ugly side wall removed so it is now semi-open.
The bus station opened at the end of January 2007.
The old leisure centre has been demolished and the old Town Hall site cleared.