After completing Leeds I earlier this year, our second scheme in Leeds, Leeds II, is powering towards completion. Taking stock of the surrounding area, it is exciting to see this puzzle piece fast taking its place in the masterplan. The success of Leeds’ West End is the result of a collaborative, years-long regenerative placemaking effort.
It is no easy feat to extend the boundaries of a city centre, enhancing what is already there while creating more space for it to grow – and I don’t just mean geographically. Working with our partners Bridges Fund Management Ltd. and Realstar, we have collaborated with Leeds City Council and others including Carey Jones Chapman Tolcher (CJCT) and our neighbours, like City Developments Limited’s The Junction. Together we have laid the foundation for a neighbourhood that builds on the liveliness and energy of Leeds’ city centre and spreads it further west.
Local people recount their memories of this area from decades gone by: a car park, disused industrial land, a former steelworks. The progress started with a vision from Leeds City Council and has seen the Grade II listed Gritstone viaduct repurposed, the canal opened up and the provision of hundreds of news homes, parks and public amenities.
What is there today speaks for itself – a budding community of residents, including families with children, enjoying all their homes have to offer. With key sites in the Latitude masterplan still coming forward, as well as the prominent archway retail, hospitality and leisure sites in the area, there is plenty of transformation in the pipeline. But looking back to where we started, I’m pleased to review how far we’ve come.
While no project is smooth sailing, perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here about having the right ingredients: a unique and strategic location for redevelopment, strong design-led vision complemented by strong design characteristics of the historic viaduct, ambitious and co-operative partners, and a shared long-term commitment to delivering a fantastic place for Leeds and its growing community that will stand the test of time.
#BtR #buildtorent #regeneration #leeds #placemaking