would be nice to see the Majestic getting a new lease of life...

Maybe retaining the existing the facade to city square a base for a 20 storey tower to compliment the others in city square…

Just a technicians thought lol..

Bump.

http://www.toddarch.com/images/photos/commercial/citysquarehouse/main.jpg

Love this proposal - it would make such a difference to City Square - such a pity it has not gone ahead yet. Do we think it will ever be built?

That particular design may never be built, but the development of the site is inevitable. It's perhaps the most prestiguous site in the city- it has everything going for it.

would be nice to see the Majestic getting a new lease of life...

Maybe retaining the existing the facade to city square a base for a 20 storey tower to compliment the others in city square…

Just a technicians thought lol..

Agreed, seems such a shame to see it sat there doing nothing...

As for the queens hotel, needs a good power washing I think....

10/01764/FU
Use of vacant site as 38 space short stay car park
Land At Wellington Street/ Aire Sreet Leeds LS1

I've always thought City Square's problem was its lack of surface car parking.

10/01764/FU
Use of vacant site as 38 space short stay car park
Land At Wellington Street/ Aire Sreet Leeds LS1

I've always thought City Square's problem was its lack of surface car parking.

Just what Leeds needs, another £10 a hour car park.

:ohno:

10/01764/FU
Use of vacant site as 38 space short stay car park
Land At Wellington Street/ Aire Sreet Leeds LS1

I've always thought City Square's problem was its lack of surface car parking.

It would certainly be a disgrace if land right next to it's City Square was used just for surface car parking. Why the flying f isn't anything happening with this site as it is quite clearly a case of corrupt developers imo no doubt not developing anything despite being in the best possible site for such a development right next to Leeds station presumably in the vain hope that land values will rise over time or they could sell onto another developer despite still continuing with a development in Bradford City Centre (for Provident Financial and Jurys Inn hotels).

this is a disgrace, in such a prime position the offices would have easily been let!!
this building would have been a great new home for leeds city council. some one needs to give them a kick up the you know what. As a surface car park in this location does nothing to promote the image of the city of leeds to every one passing the site!!!!!!

oh and hello everyone im back on the site so hello to all members

Why the flying f isn't anything happening with this site as it is quite clearly a case of corrupt developers imo no doubt not developing anything despite being in the best possible site for such a development right next to Leeds station presumably in the vain hope that land values will rise over time or they could sell onto another developer despite still continuing with a development in Bradford City Centre (for Provident Financial and Jurys Inn hotels).

That can hardly be described as corrupt! :nuts:

you wont see any cars from City Square due to the level difference, plus the hoarding will still be up..
Won't be much of a money spinner for anyone with it only holding 36 cars..... can't see the point of it

Had a little gander at the site today just to find a nice amount of graffiti on the hoardings and little evidence of this being turned into a car park. All that was missing was the tumbleweed!

Quite conversely I passed the site today too and saw the diggers in, presumably preparing for the car park.

Quite conversely I passed the site today too and saw the diggers in, presumably preparing for the car park.

Interesting! What time did you visit?

Around four, I think. I remember seeing work going on and making a mental note to mention it on here and forgot about it until you said that. I didn't get a good look though - just a glimpse of a digger moving about as I went by on the bus, so I couldn't say what was actually being done.

There was a large Mone Bros. excavator parked up on there on Saturday morning. I had a flash of being pleased then quickly remembered it was for the temporary car-park.

I was there at 1pm and there wasn't a soul in sight! They must of turned up later I suppose!

Noticed yesterday that the surface level car park at the City Square House site is now open (with signs proclaiming cheaper parking than the train station) although only around 6 cars were parked when I walked past (it could of course have already been open for several weeks or months of course). Seems such a shame that such a prominent site is being used for such a purpose as I cannot see any more prime sites than City Square. I take it there has been no news on this development lately?

Noticed yesterday that the surface level car park at the City Square House site is now open (with signs proclaiming cheaper parking than the train station) although only around 6 cars were parked when I walked past (it could of course have already been open for several weeks or months of course). Seems such a shame that such a prominent site is being used for such a purpose as I cannot see any more prime sites than City Square. I take it there has been no news on this development lately?

Its been open for a couple of weels now. Its not the most accessible of car parks due to the fairly steep slope that leads down into it. It should be no problem for the chelsea tractor type car but some brave soul left there porsche their on saturday and I'm not sure if they are able to get it back out.

why has this development stalled? it's such a prime location as well, some developers never finish what they've started , it really irritates me :ohno:

In order to get funding from banks etc the developer needs to pre-let the building. They clearly haven't found anyone who wants to take on that amount of office space in Leeds. Due its location and the fact its a new build will no doubt make the rents quite pricey too.

doesn't sound so good then :(

I think it's a two sided coin though. There isn't much demand for mid-sized offices like this. But there is demand for small scale expansion, and equally demand for large office space (things like Leeds City Council, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, government departments etc).

i'm really surprised there isn't any demand for an office location in such a place, it's also just outside the Train station! it's madness imo

I think it's a two sided coin though. There isn't much demand for mid-sized offices like this. But there is demand for small scale expansion, and equally demand for large office space (things like Leeds City Council, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, government departments etc).

The LCC and Teaching Hospitals requirements are now officially on hold, and a wait for decisions on public spending mean any government relocations out of london are likely to be on hold for the time being. What is needed is a resurgent private sector to start letting space now...

Although the NHS budget is 'ring fenced' and I guess the council may still need to move even if there are some job losses (a long-term strategy perhaps). A lot of things are on hold pending the spending review, it doesn't neccessarily mean they won't then proceed following this.

I think the goverment whos in now need throwning out of power.

The LCC and Teaching Hospitals requirements are now officially on hold, and a wait for decisions on public spending mean any government relocations out of london are likely to be on hold for the time being. What is needed is a resurgent private sector to start letting space now...

While on hold though, it must be remembered that these proposals were set out to make things more efficient and essentially save money. Therefore I think there's probably quite a good chance they'll survive the spending reviews.

i'm really surprised there isn't any demand for an office location in such a place, it's also just outside the Train station! it's madness imo

It is certainly madness when you think that this site has been an empty hole in the ground since 2005 with the previous office building on this site being empty for several years before that. It is certainly a madness and something the council imo should have tried to resolve considering it fronts right onto such a key site in the city centre. It certainly didn't take this long to develop the similarly sized No1 City Square and Priestley House buildings back in the 1990s at the other end of City Square.

While on hold though, it must be remembered that these proposals were set out to make things more efficient and essentially save money. Therefore I think there's probably quite a good chance they'll survive the spending reviews.

Since when did George Gideon Osborne care about the NHS or Local Authorities?

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Hopes-raised-for-Leeds-car.6662499.jp
Hopes raised for Leeds car park to be skyscraper

16 December 2010
Anthony Clay

There are still hopes that Leeds's City Square House development will go ahead – despite the site becoming a car park.

The development on the corner of City Square and Wellington Street, next to Leeds Railways Station, was mothballed in 2009 when the economy went into the doldrums.

But there is now hope the project for a 14 storey office block offering 170,000 square feet of space will get a shot in the arm in the near future.

A car park on the site has just been opened by Elite Parking but this is not expected to be a permanent move.

Glenn Levison, partner with Sanderson Weatherall, joint agent for the
site with Knight Frank, said: "There is no long-term plan for it to be a car park.

"It's a year and then breakable thereafter so it is very flexible."
He said the use of the site as a car park was intended to help tidy up the site.

Mr Levison said the City Square House project, being developed by Irish company McAleer and Rushe Group, is still on the cards and could get under way when the economy picks up.

He said that a number of property leases for firms in the city would be ending soon so their search for new homes could be the impetus needed to get work underway.

Mr Levison said the decision was taken to put the project on hold in 2009 because of the state of the economy.

He said: "We noticed that the market in Leeds dipped off at the start of 2009 and then it plateaued. It has not got better nor worse.

"Everybody hopes that next year will be better.

"The feeling in the city is that there are some big leases expiring in 2013/14 and, everything being equal, that will drive people to look at the situation.

"In terms of marketing we have adopted a low-key approach but it is still full steam ahead.

"It is one of the best sites in Leeds, right next to the railway station."

Recession or no recession it boggles the mind why this site in a prime location wouldn't be a roaring success.

I agree. Developers seem to have made developments like Indigo Blu and No.1 Leeds feasable, while there has been office take up at Livingstone House; all of these are in far worse locations than this development.

Indeed! And I'm puzzled why it wasnt even planned higher than 14 floors, especially in the boom years! Does it have anything to do on the impact of City Square possibly?

Wasn't it supposed to be 17 floors at one point?

Can't believe this site is a car park - albeit temporary! Anyone got any pics of it? - Must ruin the look of City Square.

Can't believe this site is a car park - albeit temporary! Anyone got any pics of it? - Must ruin the look of City Square.

Wouldn't say it does really... it's still just hoardings round a flat site, just like it always was.

....
someone beat me to it

It was redesigned to fit in better with Lumiere, so perhaps the height issue relates somehow to that. The problem is that the floor space is quite significant so the developers would either need a couple of medium sized tenants or one large tenant. It will also be some of the highest rents in the city. I think its understandable no one is looking to move considering the predictions of a 'jobless recovery'.

http://www.mcaleer-rushe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/CD19.jpg

I really like this building, it would really improve the area, but i doubt it will be built any time soon. :(

Article is certainly publicity and spin promoting this development and is certainly not an indication of anything actually happening anytime soon. It is certainly a disgrace imo that the City Square House plot has been left empty for over half a decade now when you contrast with the 1990s One City Square and Priestley House redevelopments which were probably designed, planned and constructed in much less time than this sorry saga (and remember the economy was still doing well for a few years since this was first announced in the 2000s so surely the economy can't be that much of an excuse imo). I just cannot understand why the previous building couldn't have been retained unless construction of the new City Square House was definate (surely that would have at least given the developments some cash in rent from tenants which is perhaps more substantial than a surface car park).

No doubt McAller & Rushe have been affected by the recession although it speaks wonders why they have managed to complete their Bradford development (a head office for Provident "Loan Sharks" Financial and a Jurys Inn hotel) whereas nothing has been done in their most prime Leeds site (although of course the Bradford development did have the pre-lets I did believe it had problems with funding which resulted in a bailout by Bradford Council).

I imagine the reason why developers are keen to demolish builidngs and have empty sites is because its cheaper; you have to pay rates etc on a building occupied or not. Unless of course you remove the roof as developers often do with historic builidngs (it also speeds their decline so they can demolish them).

But of course as Val Verde rightly points out, I can't understand why they didin't build this in the boom years. Developments like City Point were delivered- why not this? It's a prime site now, it was ripe for development and would've almost been guaranteed to succeed 5 years ago.

I thought planning permission was only granted in 2007/8? Therefore it just missed out on the construction boom. The delays prior to this would be to ensure they got it just right, because its in such a prime location.

Not sure if this is old news or not, but this came up on Twitter:

Leeds_City_Ctr Leeds City Centre
Planning permission granted for 14-storey City Square House in Leeds City Ctr: http://t.co/laaQqHu
27 minutes ago

Not sure if this is old news or not, but this came up on Twitter:

Leeds_City_Ctr Leeds City Centre
Planning permission granted for 14-storey City Square House in Leeds City Ctr: http://t.co/laaQqHu
27 minutes ago

Not sure. Looks good though, I was wondering why there was a hole there.

Not sure if this is old news or not, but this came up on Twitter:

Leeds_City_Ctr Leeds City Centre
Planning permission granted for 14-storey City Square House in Leeds City Ctr: http://t.co/laaQqHu
27 minutes ago

Re-application maybe? Did the previous permission consent run out of time?

Re-application maybe? Did the previous permission consent run out of time?

Yes and yes

Re-application maybe? Did the previous permission consent run out of time?
It would be nice, but how old is this news? And if the Central Park development in Leeds, which is shown on that site, went ahead, that would be something. That tower looks like 40 storeys or more.


http://www.mcaleer-rushe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Central-Park-Leeds-1.jpg

Not sure. Looks good though, I was wondering why there was a hole there.

Ridiculously it's been an empty hole in the ground since 2005 when the previous City Square House was demolished following a period of several years of being vacant and it was only built in 1983 which had replaced the building shown in the bottom picture from 1980.

http://www.leodis.org/imagesLeodis/screen/66/2002228_20319766.jpg

http://www.leodis.org/imagesLeodis/screen/64/2008915_167264.jpg

It is certainly a ridiculous mess imo considering the location couldn't be any more prime and I wonder just why the old offices couldn't have just been retained imo (possibly until the time that a replacement building could have been constructed) considering the ridiculously long gestation for this development. Was asbestos a reason why the old building was demolished back in 2005?

It certainly would be something if Central Park, Leeds gets built. That tower looks like 40 storeys.

http://www.mcaleer-rushe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Central-Park-Leeds-1.jpg

It certainly would be something if Central Park, Leeds gets built. That tower looks like 40 storeys.

http://www.mcaleer-rushe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Central-Park-Leeds-1.jpg

Theres a thread for this somewhere, though it's quiet for a reason. I doubt anything like this would get off the ground seen as office demand (whilst doing relatively well considering the economy) is no where near high to warrant such a development. Plus, this project totally ruins my fantasy development! :tongue3: