Market St Arcade

[LeedsLad]

I remember a refurb of this arcade being amongst the top of my wishlist items for Leeds at one point. It was a real embarrasment at the bottom of Briggate, and remained untouched through all the boom years, so I think we've got a real corker here given we're in a recession and it's not even a major scheme for Leeds. Look at how it was before!

[10123]

Originally Posted by Lad 2011

Why don't we have done with it and let betting shops open up in there too and other ''Turds'', just as long as the store frontage looks good thats all that matters (Great logic)..

There hardly the same caliber. It's completely irrelevant whether you like tattoos or not, the vast majority of society has no issue with it unlike a betting shop that has negative connotations.

[Aaronj09]

Originally Posted by Lad 2011

Why don't we have done with it and let betting shops open up in there too and other ''Turds'', just as long as the store frontage looks good thats all that matters (Great logic)..

That's a ridiculous post and you know it. There's nothing wrong with tattoo parlours, your opinion is not the baseline for society my friend

[STOPGO]

I have to come clean [ no pun intended ] tattoos are one of my pet hates, therefore I'm not in favour of tattoo parlors not unless this one specializes in the removal of the tattoo. I blame the football playing community for this, as I'm fed up with seeing players covered head to foot in tattoos. It seems right across the board in pro football even Tevez came back from his sabbatical with tattoos - I guess he had to find something to do with his time. And before I leave footballers and tattoos, why does it seem to be mainly footballers and not so much visible in other sports.

Rant over, and getting back to the topic. Market Street Arcade should be a shopping arcade and therefore only contain retail shops So that means no Tattoo Parlors and no fast food or any other food outlets. I posted on another thread that I thought that there were too many fast food outlets and coffee shops on Briggate, so I don't want to see anymore and would like Briggate to return to it's original retail roots.

Last point, the Tattoo Parlor is on the upper floor so actually I hope won't be that visible.

[lazygamer]

Originally Posted by STOPGO

Last point, the Tattoo Parlor is on the upper floor so actually I hope won't be that visible.

The upstairs units are advertised as 'Studio' units so are more likely to feature services rather than typical retail outlets, e.g. cosmetic surgery consultancies (tattoo removal anyone), dentists, photographers - places that are less worried about regular passing footfall.

Regarding Briggate having too many fast food outlets and coffee shops, it's only got two McDonalds (admittedly probably one too many), Starbucks and Costa (I'm discounting Upper and Lower Briggate as technically they're different streets outside of the retail quarter), and Bella Pasta. It does have more coffee shops/restaurants if you count in those in Harvey Nicks, Debenhams and HoF but we won't as they're precious retail. If you looked at Briggate 10 years ago, it used to have Burger King and Pizza Hut too (so that's 2 fast food places lost, and two coffee shops gained - net result no change in the number of retail units on Briggate).

[STOPGO]

If it's studio units only on the first floor for services then fair enough.

Briggate which is still the main shopping street is quite a small street and therefore feels a bit overflowing with food and coffee outlets. I too don't count the food and beverages in the department stores.

I was thinking about Briggate returning to retail pre fastfood further back to how it was in the 50s

[lazygamer]

Originally Posted by STOPGO

I was thinking about Briggate returning to retail pre fastfood further back to how it was in the 50s

Ah fair enough - not my era

I'd say it's not bad right now - Greggs are about to open which does add more fast food (although it appears it's more likely to be one of their cafe format stores) - but it's them vs McDonalds at that end - however hopefully if someone takes the Borders unit up for retail that'll balance it out a bit. River Island will be opening across from Central Arcade to add another big retail unit to Briggate (and Top Shop will reopen). Also with Santander about to reduce the number of retail banks they have it'd be interesting to see if they intend to keep the Briggate branch - it was one of Alliance & Leicester's flagships after all, but I guess it's more likely they get rid of the small Commercial Street branch - but the Briggate one would make an interesting retail unit.

That end of Briggate near McDonalds gets a bit hairy right now on a night - but I think the hoardings for Trinity aren't helping matters. Until they're gone I can see Greggs not helping in the short-term - particularly if it's open late.

[di Livio]

Originally Posted by STOPGO

Briggate which is still the main shopping street is quite a small street and therefore feels a bit overflowing with food and coffee outlets.

Briggate has a lot of under-utilised retail opportunity if you think about it. Some of the larger buildings are broken up into multiple units or have phone shops taking up all the space. House of Fraser is a big store but it doesn't seem to have much of a presence on the street.

[oyster]

I'd like to see a few more awnings used by the shops and cafes of Leeds - can really add a bit of class to the streetscape and handy in the rain.

[Leeds No.1]

Definitely- more awnings have appeared around Lands Lane and Commercial Street in recent years though.

I'd definitely like to see more cafes on Briggate- it's such a wide pedestrian space; why do restaurants not use it better? The only outdoor eating area is at Bella Italia. Costa has no outdoor seating, nor does Starbucks (I don't think?).

[di Livio]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

Costa has no outdoor seating, nor does Starbucks (I don't think?).

Starbucks has a couple of tables and approx four or five seats but they may as well not bother the space is so small.

[Leeds No.1]

Okay, well as you say... Could be quite extensive considering how wide the street is.

Have planners and businesses alike forgotten that Briggate was built to be able to host markets? Now that it doesn't, why do we need such a wide precint? You could easily have large seating areas and still have an extraordinarily wide public space.

[Philo]

When it does host markets (as with the farmers market one sunday each month) it looks spectacular). Really gives it another dimension, and a sense of the history of the place...

[Leeds No.1]

Yes it does. I've always said that our speciality markets should be on Briggate, although Albion Place works well. Need more markets all round!

[STOPGO]

Looks like I'm on my own again regarding Briggate and more retailing rather than fastfood/coffee outlets. I honestly don't think Briggate is also that wide and is short in length compared to other marquee streets in other major cities. At certain times of day it would be way too crowded to have cafe outside seating going on. I don't really see what benefit it would serve, seeing the views aren't that great from ground level and when heaving no view at all apart from hoards of shoppers.

[Leeds No.1]

Briggate is significantly wider than the average shopping street.

More importantly, you're failing to look ahead. All the signs show that major retailing could be leaving Briggate with new focus on Trinity and Eastgate.

Briggate will remain important as a key connecting link between them, and with the VQ/HN, but Briggate's retail mix will inevitable change, and likely become more attractive to restaurants, cafes and leisure than major retail.

[STOPGO]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

Briggate is significantly wider than the average shopping street.

More importantly, you're failing to look ahead. All the signs show that major retailing could be leaving Briggate with new focus on Trinity and Eastgate.

Briggate will remain important as a key connecting link between them, and with the VQ/HN, but Briggate's retail mix will inevitable change, and likely become more attractive to restaurants, cafes and leisure than major retail.

Well I suppose it depends on your definition [ and in this case no1 definition ] of the average shopping street. My earlier view is that it's no wider than many other marquee streets in comparable major cities.

There are not too many retailers on Briggate with department stores taking up much of the street. So that being the case I would like food outlets and cafes kept to a minimum and retail taking their traditional place on Briggate.

[Leeds No.1]

Give examples of all these wider streets? Comparable UK cities certainly don't have wider streets.

My thoughts are not based on what I would like, but on the reality of what will happen. It doesn't matter if you would like to see retail in its traditional place if the retailers just want units that fulfil their needs in Eastgate/Trinity. And we can't just leave Briggate dead.

[STOPGO]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

Give examples of all these wider streets? Comparable UK cities certainly don't have wider streets.

My thoughts are not based on what I would like, but on the reality of what will happen. It doesn't matter if you would like to see retail in its traditional place if the retailers just want units that fulfil their needs in Eastgate/Trinity. And we can't just leave Briggate dead.

I thought this was a forum where anybody can put their own personal views across. That being the case I'm putting forward that I would like Briggate to remain at least dominated by retail shops.

I think you are misusing the word street. As Briggate doesn't have any traffic in any direction then to me it's not a street but a paved shopping precinct.

There's no sign of Eastgate coming on stream anytime in the near future, so I'm discounting that as being of any note.

[Suburban Knight]

With the rise in competition to traditional town centre retail from out of town retail parks, supermarkets and the internet, cafe and leisure uses will become an increasingly important aspect of city centre retail mix. Pleasant places which add to the atmosphere will be really useful in attracting people to town and city centres (not saying Greggs or McDonalds fulfill this function, by the way!).