Teesland Launches Massive Mixed-Use Project For Leeds

LEEDS-There’s to be a monster new mixed-use scheme in Leeds. West Central will be one of the largest true mixed-use schemes to be seen in Leeds and developers expect it to have an end value in excess of £120 million ($174 million).

It will comprise 120,000 sf of offices over 10 floors, making it the largest office development in Leeds, as well as 50,000 sf of retail/ leisure space, 324 apartments and a 200-bed hotel. There will be car parking spaces for both the offices and residential elements totalling approximately 375 spaces.

Sterling Teesland, a joint venture between Teesland Group and Leeds-based developer Sterling Capitol, has completed the acquisition of the site from Consignia, previously the Post Office, and expects to start on site in Spring 2003. The site became available following the development of a new state of the art Royal Mail Centre in South Leeds.

The ‘West Central’ development will be a major component in the emergence of the “West End” of Leeds, as one of several new developments radiating out from the centre of the city to the south of Wellington Street. West Central is to be funded by the Bank of Scotland.

The focal point of the West Central development will be a newly created 100ft-wide central piazza, which will be lined with restaurants, bars and retail facilities on the ground floor of the development. The piazza will also create a pedestrian link to Whitehall Road, the nearby railway station, central business district, and the other developments in this area.

Completion for the entire development is anticipated as being Autumn 2004. Knight Frank and Insignia Richard Ellis are letting agents for the offices and Christie & Co is letting agent for the hotel, leisure and retail elements.