Come with us as we look at five major projects that are going to have a big impact on the city in the years ahead.
There’s nothing we love to see more at Leeds-List than signs of progress for the city – and this quintet of big proposals could help to change Leeds for the better in the years ahead. We’re talking the much needed mass transit system, a new-look for The Headrow and the next tallest building in Leeds. But that’s just a glimpse of what’s coming our way – take a look at how our fine city could look in the not-so-distant future. We’re excited, are you?
The new mass transit system
Credit: Reform/West Yorkshire Combined Authority. This artist’s impression shows features of a regular urban transport corridor featuring a mass transit system, and does not necessarily reflect any future design of a Mass Transit system in West Yorkshire.
It’s been a long, long time coming, but Leeds could finally get the mass transit system it has long yearned for. West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin and other local leaders have revealed plans for the first phase of a new tram network that will connect towns and cities across the region. The first line will take people from Harehills to South Leeds via the city centre, while the second will connect Bradford Forster Square station to Leeds. Exact routes will be confirmed following a public consultation in summer 2024, but if approved, work could start in 2028.
The redevelopment of The Core
Credit: Corstorphine & Wright
The face of the city centre is about to change because The Core will soon be no longer. Owners Tri7 and developers Fusion Students have teamed up with architects Corstorphine & Wright to completely transform the site. The existing buildings will be demolished and replaced by three new ones, with two new streets in between that will connect King Charles Street with Lands Lane. 38,000 square foot of retail and leisure space will face onto The Headrow, Lands Lane, King Charles Street and the two new streets, with 809 student apartments above.
The new tallest building in Leeds
Credit: McLaren
Leeds’ West End will be home to the tallest building in the city as plans for developers McLaren’s mixed-use 2.47-acre Wellington Square development have been approved by Leeds City Council. Designed by Howells Architects, a pair of 14 and 15-storey office buildings will stand in front of a giant 45-storey residential tower. It will feature hundreds of one to three-bedroom build-to-rent apartments, complete with a sky lounge with panoramic views on the top floor. The 364,000 square foot of office space will have capacity for up to 3,500 workers once complete.
The city centre development of 1,925 homes
Credit: Caddick Developments
A long empty plot of land on the South Bank, between Holbeck’s Sweet Street and Meadow Road, will become South Village. Caddick’s brand new scheme has passed the first stage of approval and will further add to this area’s extensive regeneration. Three tower blocks of up to 45 storeys will be home to 1,925 flats, 722 car park spaces, a 450-room hotel and loads of office space. The plans have been refined from an original 2022 application to include a large green space at the centre of the buildings and should take around a decade to complete once finalised.
The new-look St Johns Centre
Credit: Cavendish
Built in 1985 and last renovated in 2005, it’s time for St Johns Centre to get a much-needed refresh. Much of the office space above the shops has been empty for years, so owners Global Mutual have plans to turn it into purpose-built student accommodation. There would be 287 high-quality student bedrooms, including 170 studios and 117 bedroom clusters, all with access to 78 cycle parking spaces. The current car park would become a private roof garden for residents, while the tired facade of the building would get a 21st-century remodel.
Cover image credit: Corstorphine & Wright.
