Gerald Ronson makes himself fully at home in the City

The only new-ish story today comes from the FT, which details Gerald Ronson's plans to build a hotel and apartments next door to his just-about-to-be-topped-out tower in Bishopsgate. EG disclosed these plans in late 2008, but the FT goes into greater detail, as Heron has now submitted the drawings to the City for approval.

It says something for Ronson's powers of persuasion that he has managed to get a City Corporation always bitterly opposed to residential development to agree not just to one block of flats, but two. Contractors are currently tendering to build a 36-storey block of 295 flats next door to the Barbican, on which marketing began this week with adverts in City AM.

In Bishopsgate there will be a 190-bedroom hotel and 120 apartments. The £500m scheme was originally planned as a "baby" Heron office tower, next to its 800-ft tall dad. Talking of the tower, Ronson discloses they are talking to four potential occupiers. You can almost feel an announcement coming on, timed perhaps for the annual Heron lunch on April 13th.

The serviced apartments "will be among the most expensive in London." This news should interest Nick and Christian Candy, who have about 40-hyper luxury flats coming on the market shortly in Knightsbridge at about £4000 sq ft. Ronson reconnoitred Knightsbridge about the time he was planning Bishopsgate. How much will he charge in the City: guesses between £2000 and £3000 only please.