A third of Cork Street's galleries to close

Cork Street, the central London thoroughfare behind The Royal Academy, may soon lose its position as the city's foremost address for contemporary art galleries, if two new property developments go ahead.

Seven of the street's 22 galleries - Mayor, Alpha Gallery, Adam Gallery, Stoppenbach & Delestre, Waterhouse & Dodd, Beaux Arts and Gallery 27 - will have to leave their current premises next year, to accommodate a new luxury apartment building. Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that a similar, more recent development casts doubt over the future of four further galleries on the street: Hay Hill, Bernard Jacobson, Messum's and Petleys.

Though developers promise to include gallery spaces within their new plans, the Cork street curators doubt rents will prove feasible for a contemporary art concern.

Louis Singh, director of the Beaux Arts gallery told The Guardian "They've had to put in a provision of galleries but I understand that encompasses boutiques, jewellers, etc. There's no doubt they can get a lot more money if they let in fashion. But we can't afford to compete with Prada."