Real Estate

Canary Wharf’s ‘game changer’ makeover bets on go-karts to lure normal punters

The owners of the struggling business hub hope new mod cons, jazz festivals, go-karts, greenery and the arrival of the Elizabeth Line will make it a place that people will actually want to visit

Rewind a couple of years and the pandemic threatened Canary Wharf’s very existence
Rewind a couple of years and the pandemic threatened Canary Wharf’s very existence Photo: Getty Images

Crossrail is four years late, £4bn over budget and, despite the fanfare around its part-opening last month, it is not yet fully operational. But the owners of Canary Wharf aren’t bothered by these mere hiccups.

So important is the Elizabeth Line to the future of the embattled business district that to celebrate its arrival, they lit up the estate’s skyscrapers, bridges and even park benches in purple — the line’s signature colour.

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