Located beside the River Soar next to No1 Westbridge by Ian Simpson Architects.
The scheme, for Cirrus Property, will create townhouses of up to 11 storeys, and turn disused railway arches into a series of café and arts spaces which open onto a 80m by 30m central public space.
Leicester Blackfriars is a high density development with 650 homes on a 1.6ha site, but space has been put aside for raised courtyards providing access to communal gardens at each of the blocks.
An innovative car stacking scheme will allow residents to leave their vehicles at a drop off point, with the cars then stored by a mechanised parking system.
I'm impressed by the sheer scale of it (though I can't imagine why anyone would need an eleven storey townhouse ). That part of the city should look very different in ten years time to how it looks today.
This Mercury article shows that work on the Blackfriars scheme is now in progress: :banana:
ENGINEERS' JOBS SAFEGUARDED
10:30 - 08 October 2007
Ten engineering jobs have been safeguarded in Leicester after a company moved to a new factory to make way for regeneration work.
Broadleaf Engineering has moved from Bath Lane to Craven Street, making way for a residential development which will create 600 homes.
Safdar Sabur, managing director of Broadleaf, which makes robotic machines for the automotive industry, said: "We are very pleased that we have been able to find such good premises close to our old ones.
"We looked at so many premises and we just couldn't find one. We were coming to the end of the lease at Bath Lane, but luckily the landlord gave us an extension while we looked for premises."
Work is now under way on the £56million Blackfriars development in and around Bath Lane.
They have one in Chicago in those 2 round tall apartment buildings which has like 15 floors of parking. It looks really cool but I can't find a video of it anywhere.
I really hope they do put them in, it will be a great addition. It was interesting to read in the Mercury on Monday that a business in the area has moved because of the developments, it also said that work had started.
covent gardens great in london, not so sure leiseceter can ever claim to replicate one of the best parts of central london, wot am i talking about, course leicester can never claim to be like london, **** me, talk about high hopes
ive also raised the too many covent gardens thing too outsider1, its just developer talk to sell as many off plan apartments as possible
The Covent Garden title isn't trying to say 'it will be a replica, or try to be a replica' of that thing down in London - it's more of a style name now I suppose. It's basically lots of pavement café's, bars, restaurants, and shops all in an attractive area that's well decorated. Leicester needs more of this.. especially if it's replacing run down areas.
Bulldozers have begun demolishing old factory buildings to make way for a £56 million development of flats, shops and businesses.
The scheme, off Bath Lane, near the River Soar and the Great Central Railway viaduct in Leicester, will include more than 600 flats. There will also be a huge public open space next to the railway arches which developers say could rival London's Covent Garden.
The arches themselves could become workshops, artisan units, cafes and bars.
Peter Mahoney, managing director of developers Cirrus Property, said: "We are pleased to finally be on site, progress is going very well and we are on target for commencing construction of the first new homes in early January 2008.
"We are pleased to be delivering such an exciting project that will transform the area and create new homes and jobs for local people.
"The apartments will be ready to move into from autumn 2009."
Outline planning permission was granted by Leicester City Council in March this year for more than 600 apartments on the site.
The developers have now submitted detailed plans for the first phase of the scheme.
These include three, four, five eight and nine-storey buildings providing 352 flats. There will be 110 studio flats, 154 one-bedroom and 88 two-bedroom apartments.
The plans also include a commercial unit. There will be a further two phases of development of 85 flats and 179 flats to complete the overall scheme.
The apartments will all have access to private courtyard roof gardens and almost a quarter of the 3.75 acre site will be devoted to open space.
Existing tenants were moved from the site to clear the way for the development.
Engineering company Broadleaf Engineering was the last to leave, moving to a new unit in Craven Street.
The development is the first to get under way in the Bath Lane area of the city.
Developers Westbridge Living has permission to build three huge glass skyscrapers nearby.
Archeological digs have now begun on that site and building work there is also due to start in the new year. The largest glass skyscraper, a 39-storey hotel and apartments, will be the tallest building in the East Midlands.
Alongside it will be two smaller towers, 26 and 20 storeys high, which will be known as No 1 Westbridge.
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