A developer has floated plans to build a 1,500-room student accommodation by the Elephant and Castle roundabout.
Initial plans for Skipton House, an unoccupied office building behind Elephant and Castle station’s Bakerloo line entrance, suggest the student blocks could rise up to 32 storeys.
Developer London & Regional has said around 200 flats could also be built in lower-rise buildings in front of the taller blocks.
Local residents are being asked to comment on the proposals before a Sunday, May 19 deadline.
The site is currently home to Skipton House – a 250,000sq ft office block originally designed for a Japanese bank.
NHS departments have since occupied the building including The Information Centre for Health and Social and the NHS Counter Fraud Authority.
London & Regional said the NHS left in 2022 due to the building’s location and condition. The developer said it had been difficult to find tenants since then.
The development on 80 London Road could include retail and commercial provision at the ground and upper floors.
There are also plans to make pedestrian improvements to Ontario Street and introduce a Station Square next to the station entrance.
The developer hopes to submit a full planning application in autumn with construction set to begin in 2028 if approved.
Skipton House was set for redevelopment in 2015 after plans for a 39-storey mixed-use building were approved by Southwark Council.
In 2018, further permission was granted to build an additional six storeys for office and retail use.
But the schemes did not go ahead “due to land ownership constraints and the decline in the office market,” the developer said.
The new buildings are being designed by architectural firm HTA Design.
The developer hopes they will complement Elephant and Castle’s £4bn regeneration, led by Southwark Council in partnership with private developers.
The regeneration includes Elephant Park, a new town centre including an upgraded tube station and 22 other projects.