Retail in Leeds City Centre

[lazygamer]

Originally Posted by MattN

Interesting that Sheffield and York have only out of town shops remaining, if most have been closed.

Grimsby is definitely not Yorkshire though!

Whoops - that one snuck in (still think of it as being in Humberside)...
York still has a Gamestation on Church Street (just off Swinegate)

[Leeds No.1]

I have no problem with Yorkshire expanding into Lincolnshire!

Originally Posted by di Livio

My old man told me the other day that he'd been on a rare trip into Leeds and thought the Headrow had lost its grandeur with the introduction of shop units and Primark. He also made some comment about the litter on the streets, etc. His comments about Leeds in general really pissed me off and I've been in a foul mood ever since.

I'm not sure a place can lose 'grandeur' because of the tenants. It might lose class, but grandeur is surely dependent on the quality of the built environment. The Galleria Vittorio hasn't lost any grandeur from having McDonald's in it.

Lets remember that despite The Headrow's shortcomings in terms of public realm, it's a better place now than it was 15 years ago. For a long time Primark was a derelict cinema- now it is in use and a clean building.

Broadgate, previously Allders and Lewis's, has now been completed to the same standard as the old, and despite being split into four units, is also cleaner than it was as well as being uplit at night.

Over on the other side there's been a reclad at Basilica, while the entire Light complex has rejuvenated a significant stretch of The Headrow- again with vibrant uplighting.

[Skychaser 2005]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

I'm not sure a place can lose 'grandeur' because of the tenants. It might lose class, but grandeur is surely dependent on the quality of the built environment. The Galleria Vittorio hasn't lost any grandeur from having McDonald's in it.

Lets remember that despite The Headrow's shortcomings in terms of public realm, it's a better place now than it was 15 years ago. For a long time Primark was a derelict cinema- now it is in use and a clean building.

Broadgate, previously Allders and Lewis's, has now been completed to the same standard as the old, and despite being split into four units, is also cleaner than it was as well as being uplit at night.

Over on the other side there's been a reclad at Basilica, while the entire Light complex has rejuvenated a significant stretch of The Headrow- again with vibrant uplighting.

Exactly, how can anyone say The Headrow is not a better place than 15 years ago for all the reasons given above.

[di Livio]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

I'm not sure a place can lose 'grandeur' because of the tenants. It might lose class, but grandeur is surely dependent on the quality of the built environment. The Galleria Vittorio hasn't lost any grandeur from having McDonald's in it

The Headrow is a lot cleaner than it was even ten years ago and there's a lot more interaction with the street rather than having a blank wall of Lewis's, but I take his point about Primark, TK Maxx and Sports Direct lowering the tone slightly - the double height Lewis's windows were a big loss.

I don't think he knows Leeds anymore, and wandering around in a city you don't recognise isn't going to make for a great experience. My parents are much more suited to York nowadays, and they are at the age when everything new or different is somehow offensive.

[this_city]

Originally Posted by The Oil

And anyone who actually believes CA is a village needs their head checking.

might make you chuckle...

http://www.facebook.com/groups/40277.../?notif_t=like

[Leeds No.1]

York has some dreadful public realm- it's a good job the buildings themselves are nice because the paving in Leeds is far higher quality.

Yes I agree, it is a shame to have lower-end retailers on what is supposed to be the flagship street in the City, but that's how it is. We can hope that eventually with Eastgate the next phase of rejuvenation will take place.

[Val Verde]

Originally Posted by Skychaser 2005

Exactly, how can anyone say The Headrow is not a better place than 15 years ago for all the reasons given above.

Well surely the loss of the Headrow's two department store giants of Lewis's / Allders in 2005 and Schofields in 1996 from Leeds was certainly a massive shame considering they had both played in big role in anchoring Leeds's development as a retail centre in the 20th century. However other than the two big department stores did The Headrow ever offer that much in the way of retail compared with other Leeds shopping streets and shopping centres back in the day? All I can think of is that the Headrow was once home to a large Vallances electrical shop until some point in the late 1980s (latterly JJB Sports and now CEX) and perhaps it is worth mentioning Burton (now a temporary Topshop) although that was on the junction with Briggate.

Also I whilst it was a shame to loose the Odeon from Leeds certainly in the latter years of that cinemas operation the appearance of the building (from at least the 1980s and probably dating back to when awful modernist additions were added in the 1960s) was left to decay to a clearly unacceptable state for what is meant to be a grand avenue.

image hosted on flickr


On another note is there any reason why an entrance to the City Varieties from the Headrow couldn't have been reopened after the recent re-fit of that theatre as was once the case and a regular wish of mine on here is that surely it would do The Headrow a lot of good in particular for when Eastgate is completed if a new entrance into the Victoria Quarter could be formed by extending the Cross Arcade through Reiss and the yard where the once infamous Big Lils bar was located onto The Headrow?

[Val Verde]

Looks like someone might have taken over the old Oddbins on Albion Street which had shopfitters in today. Also the old Middleton Arms pub in Middleton is currently being demolished to be replaced by an Aldi supermarket. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.u...bble-1-4417614

[Val Verde]

I was in York earlier today and noticed that Joy has now closed down in the Coppergate Centre. Wonder if the Joy closing could be a sign of continued difficulties with that store which went into administration a few years back. Wonder if Fenwick's department store could take the vacant Joy as overspill particularly as I believe an expansion for Fenwick could be on the cards if Coppergate is ever expanded? Also Game on Spurriergate has now closed down, the Santander at the former Alliance & Leicester on Coppergate has also closed down (surely a likely propect for many of the other duplicate Santander (former Alliance & Leicester, Bradford & Bingley and Abbey National) branches up and down the UK a madness with branches of RBS about to be rebranded under the Santander banner) and that Urban Outfitters are continuing their fit out at the former Habitat.

Also lots of signs up on a number of retailers announcing opposition against the John Lewis and Marks & Spencer anchored Monks Cross 2 scheme. Ironically im sure I recall many (most probably the same retailers) retailers had put up signs a few years back announcing opposistion to the then proposed expansion of the Coppergate Centre. Pity that previous development was blocked imo which had prevented much needed modern retail space from York City Centre although I am certainly against proposals to significantly expand Monks Cross retail park which must surely risk the long term development of York City Centre.

[aviator]

Originally Posted by Val Verde

I was in York earlier today...... .

Far be it from me to state the obvious, but this thread is about retail in Leeds city centre. From your post there's obviously a fair amount going on in York's retail scene so wouldn't it make sense to start a new thread to cover that?

[Skychaser 2005]

Originally Posted by aviator

Far be it from me to state the obvious, but this thread is about retail in Leeds city centre. From your post there's obviously a fair amount going on in York's retail scene so wouldn't it make sense to start a new thread to cover that?

I think you make a good pont Aviator. If you look at say Newcastle's sub forum, there are loads of new threads for different topics. Don't know what other Leeds forumers think, but I don't think we use that option enough and open new threads for new topics. Often they are covered on existing threads which just get bigger and bigger.

[10123]

There's no where near enough posts or developments going on in York to warrant its own thread. I wouldn't be surprised if Val is the only member who posts about York. Perhaps rename this thread to retail in West/North Yorkshire for the odd post that happens to not be Leeds based.

[Leeds No.1]

Electric City and Irish Blood are both York based.

There's a York Developments Thread, but for retail it might be good to have one for other areas. This thread has covered retail not just in Leeds, but Huddersfield, Wakefield, Harrogate, York and on retail parks.

[Val Verde]

Well I did suggest renaming this thread last year as "Leeds City Region Retail" thus covering retail in West Yorkshire and those parts of North Yorkshire lying within close reach of Leeds (Harrogate, York, Selby, Skipton etc) as it would be daft if threads were opened for every different place around the Leeds City Region area particularly when you consider major retail projects outside of the Leeds City Council area such as the proposed Monks Cross 2 scheme on the outskirts of York in addition to the proposed extension to the Kingsgate Centre in Huddersfield. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/archiv...1592-p-19.html

[Leeds No.1]

Well that's what happens on the Manchester forum- there's a thread for every single transport project!

[Electric_City]

Originally Posted by 10123

There's no where near enough posts or developments going on in York to warrant its own thread. I wouldn't be surprised if Val is the only member who posts about York. Perhaps rename this thread to retail in West/North Yorkshire for the odd post that happens to not be Leeds based.

Well of course, there is the 'York Developments Thread'. Perhaps it ought to be renamed the 'York Stuff Thread', or whatever, in order to widen its remit.

Unfortunately, I don't usually take a lot of interest in retail, otherwise I might post more on the matter, either in this, or the York thread.

The Monk's Cross debate seems to be hotting up lately, with some of the tactics getting a little personal, apparently. Apart from that, the main things that stick in my mind from recent months are the fact that the Monk's Cross developers are dangling the prospect of a new stadium in front of people as bait, and that the Coppergate 2 developers have threatened to pull out if the Monk's Cross extension goes ahead.

[Leeds No.1]

I'm not sure that many people would say they have an interest in retail itself, but often as the main driver of developments, and the key element attracting people to our cities, it can't be ignored.

[STOPGO]

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.u...eets-1-4434658

[Lad 2011]

Originally Posted by STOPGO

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.u...eets-1-4434658

Something does need to be done about dirty paving around Leeds city centre.

I think Leeds city centre on a whole when it comes down to rubbish is clean unlike most of the suburbs that are full of rubbish especially along places like the canal, i often speak to people about it and they say the same thing as me about how bad the litter is along the Leeds Liverpool canal and how nothing is ever done about it.

why don't they just give certain people that are out of work a jobs cleaning the streets of Leeds?

[Leeds No.1]

why don't they just give certain people that are out of work a jobs cleaning the streets of Leeds?

And where would they get the money to pay them?