By Having lived in the Leeds area my entire life, and worked in it for most of my working life, I have never seen as much building and regeneration as I have in the past few years. There are currently new restaurants popping up every few weeks, a whole street has been torn down in the city centre to make way for the city’s first John Lewis store, and the city centre landscape is changing rapidly. Not to mention all the new office space. So, what exactly is happening, and what does it mean for business in Leeds?
What started the ball rolling with the growth of Leeds?
Holbeck Urban Village has had a huge impact on both the local economy and the digital sector in Leeds. The Urban Village was kick-started by the materialisation of the Round Foundry media centre in the winter of 2004. Last winter, the Round Foundry site, which incorporates an old flax mill and new buildings, was sold for a whopping £31.5m.
What’s happened since then?
A snowball effect has occurred in Leeds City Centre, which shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. Bridgewater Place – the tallest building in Leeds, and known as ‘the Tardis’ to locals – was completed in 2007, which was originally a cause for celebration but later less so when its wind problem was revealed. Trinity Leeds shopping centre opened in spring 2013. First Direct Arena followed shortly after in the Autumn of 2013. I’m still not sure a city centre arena was the best idea in terms of traffic and parking, but having visited several times I can confirm it is a great venue in terms of sound and visuals.
The new south entrance at Leeds train station opened in January of this year (at a cost of £20m), to ease the pressure of the second busiest station outside of London, and also to better service the growing South Bank area. Of course, there is also all the talk around HS2 train plans for Leeds, but I imagine if that does get the go-ahead, it will be far in the future.
Next to the SALT.agency office, the Ironworks project will soon be underway: 58 apartments, 15 townhouses, and lots of retail space.
As well as brand new builds, Leeds’s rich industrial heritage is also being embraced as the city grows, with the buildings that once housed our textile and pin manufacturing now being brought back to life in new ways. Plans have been submitted for the old pin factory site in Holbeck – Tower Works – to be transformed into a lively new mixed use development which will include a cinema, office space, brewery, apartments, retail space, and a public park. Also, the Temple Works 50m regeneration for fashion firm Burberry will be opening in Holbeck too in 2019.
Nearby, there’s a new Granary Wharf complex planned, with 250 new homes, office space, leisure space and landscaped outdoor space replacing a carpark next to the Leeds Liverpool canal.
Also in South Leeds, Hunslet Riverside is also being eyed up for regeneration, with a big focus on bringing Hunslet Mill and Victoria Mill back into use after years sat empty.
What does all this mean for business in Leeds?
Leeds is a really great place to be right now for business – especially the digital sector, which is absolutely thriving in the South Bank area, and is bound to expand with the development of the area in areas such as Tower Works, Hunslet and Granary Wharf. Not only that but it is being better serviced with the new south entrance / exit at the train station. Which is a good job, as most of the local car parks are being built on!
I genuinely can’t wait to see how Leeds continues to evolve over the coming years!