Building Leeds – interviews part 2

Photo of Leeds skyline at night by Matthew Hargraves

On Friday we introduced our interviewees and asked them how they compared Leeds to other similar cities and if they felt the city’s best architecture was in its historic buildings. Below is the second part of our 3 part interview series.

What is your view on the new developments coming soon to Leeds?

Leeds Arena:

Chris Thompson –

There’s a lot of buzz around the arena and the city has done a great job of getting this to happen in today’s climate. The big question-mark for me is whether the demand is there to sustain a continuing function for the arena given the seated capacities and fact it’s not as flexible as other multi-purpose arenas. Hopefully the performance aspect will be so good that it will mean acts will specifically want to perform there.

Kevin Bramley –

The city has lacked an arena facility and not shared the economic benefits that spin off from such a facility Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Newcastle have benefited to our detriment in this way.

Everyone is excitedly awaiting its completion and I anticipate heavy usage of the facility.

Greg Keeffe –

It’s a rather vacuous thing, probably in the wrong place. It’s an American idea of what a city needs.  ‘It’ll be a great venue for darts!’ – The architect actually said that!.  I won’t be attending, ever!

Irena Bauman –

Very important development for Leeds, a real milestone in the history of the city although it will undermine others such as Arena in Sheffield. The building itself is too early to judge

Trinity Leeds & Eastgate:

Chris Thompson –

Whilst I’m sure this investment is welcomed and helps infill a surface car park and introduce John Lewis to Leeds, I can’t personally get excited about more retail! What I do hope however is that the huge opportunity to link Eastgate to the Playhouse and provide a throughput of foot traffic will help give the cultural quarter greater significance in the city. By relocating the Police station, this provides a great opportunity to draw people to the cultural quarter but the buildings must be designed so that they aren’t turning their back on the area.

Kevin Bramley –

Land Securities are to be congratulated on their willingness to proceed with the redevelopment in difficult economic circumstances. Their foresight and wiliness to take a risk to bring the development forward is being rewarded by the healthy lettings and ongoing interest that is being shown in the development. The Eastgate Quarter presents an incremental opportunity in the bringing forward of further retail accommodation in the city of a quality being demanded by the modern retailers.  Both schemes will then complement the exciting traditional arcades within the city which have more restricted retail offer. The anticipation of John Lewis anchoring the Eastgate scheme excites many people in the city and I believe the benefits it will bring to the eastern side will be enormous and with resultant positive impact on the market and Kirkgate areas.

Greg Keeffe –

Trinity I suppose this will be the last retail development ever in the city – once internet shopping takes over.  I’m not really sure what its purpose is except to privatise more urban space in the city.   Leeds already has the most CCTV cameras per head in the country. I don’t understand how the form came about or to be honest what the planners were thinking. There’ll be no new actual shops in the city, just a new home for M&S and Next. Just when we are meant to be creating localism and having a carbon decent plan, Leeds goes for more global retail. I suppose it’s one up on Bradford, who can’t even get theirs off the ground, or Wakefield, who had to pay for theirs.  Surely Leeds needs something more than just larger shops?

The privatised urban space will probably appeal to some, but to me it is reducing democracy in the city. On the Eastgate website it has pictures of women doing Zumba in the city square to advertise it. I bet if you turned up as a flash mob and actually did it you’d be arrested by security.  Very sustainable too: 4000 jobs 120 bicycle racks for employees.  It seems to be made for the people of Harrogate and Otley, rather than the people of Leeds.

Irena Bauman –

I am worried that these developments will displace other retail areas and especially the Leeds market. The era of retail led city centres is over and the only reason we are building these two is that the developers have deep pockets and Leeds is happy to dip into them. We need much greater mix of uses in the centre and space for many small, independent traders. Most of all we need to protect and expand the market as the trend for small businesses continues

New south entrance to the train station:

Chris Thompson –

I think this should be a good catalyst to the south of Leeds but it should form part of a wider vision for the city.

Kevin Bramley –

The new south entrance proposed for the train station is long overdue. The economic benefits of the area south of the railway line will be enormous, it will also assist in dealing with current capacity issues within the railway station and future growth promoted and planned. The city is also eagerly awaiting additional proposals for the enhancement of the main entrance to the railway station and surrounding area.

Greg Keeffe –

I can’t fault the Urbanism, that makes sense, but the design leaves me a bit cold.  I feel that it looks already dated – like a student scheme from 1998!  Somehow it seems the wrong scale – either too big or too small, and it doesn’t look robust enough.  Maybe it will be better in the flesh.

Irena Bauman –

Great – it is an exciting design (by us) and will change the map of city centre.

What should we do with the Tetley Brewery site?

Chris Thompson –

Citu have been involved in a bid with Peter Connoly for this site so we believe there’s a unique opportunity to deliver a data centre with the associated job creation as well as using the waste heat from the data centre to provide heating and hot water for a zero carbon housing scheme. In addition we would look to deliver a park and numerous other leisure and commercial opportunities including relocating the listed buildings.

Kevin Bramley –

A variety of studies involving elements of consultation have been taking place in recent times in relation to the Tetley’s brewery site and many ideas promoted.  There is a conscientious view that the city is short of a park setting and open areas of green space.  The site has the potential to fulfil such a requirement.  It will obviously no doubt feature in developers eyes as a potential retail and mixed use scheme with potential linkage between the city centre and Crown Point Retail Park.

Greg Keeffe –

Re-open the Brewery!!  Yorkshire Tetley’s was one of the best bitters in the World! On a more serious note, South Leeds is a mess, especially with the motorway connections that destroy the urban space. I think a new park that links the city centre with the Southern ‘burbs by looping over the motorways would be fantastic, but probably too expensive.

Irena Bauman –

A new vibrant mixed use neighbourhood for makers with a primary school, workshops, and high street.

The final part of the interviews will be posted on Culture Vulture next Friday, 16th March.

Part 1 can be viewed here.