[Gherkin]

I passed the site last week and it looks like a wasteland.

They should build something like a swimming pool there.

 

[LeedsLad]

Not sure why the council doesn't at least extend the surface car park that adjoins the site to bring in some cash...

 

[God's Own City]

should take the site, and the old police station, to build a new & expanded Central Lending Library for the city, with a landscaped garden at St Pauls Square. Could then use the entirety of the Civic Buildings for an expanded City Art Gallery.

 

[Leeds1972]

should take the site, and the old police station, to build a new & expanded Central Lending Library for the city, with a landscaped garden at St Pauls Square. Could then use the entirety of the Civic Buildings for an expanded City Art Gallery.

Interesting idea. We could certainly do with a more substantial gallery - perhaps then the council could display all the Atkinson Grimshaws it owns.

 

[Leeds No.1]

A new library would be welcome, and would allow the art gallery to expand.

 

[Val Verde]

How depressingly un-ambitious: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co....oated-for-former-pool-site-in-leeds-1-7211646

I thought the whole of the former International Pool site was already used for car parking although it is very typically Leeds to see such a key site used for car parking as opposed to actually being re-developed on top of examples such as Whitehall Riverside, Tetleys Brewery and Quarry Hill.

 

[10123]

Why have the council sat on this piece of land for so long?

I wouldn't be surprised if they keep it as "temporary" car park for as long as they can.

 

[Ballymoney]

Leeds City Council launch a search for investors to develop the International swimming Pool site...

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co....m-old-leeds-international-pool-site-1-8440703

Got to ask...Why the hell have they not been searching for investors for the past 10 years? I can't help but think the LCC need a rocket fired up their backside at times to motivate them.

 

[agkita]

I like their vision. If you were going to relax in a Public Space would choose to do it next to the A58?

 

[aviator]

......Got to ask...Why the hell have they not been searching for investors for the past 10 years? I can't help but think the LCC need a rocket fired up their backside at times to motivate them.

I wondered about this as well.

The only answer I can come up with was that the recession left Leeds with an awful lot of development land with nobody to develop it and nobody willing to pay for the developments. And most of that land was closer to the centre than this site is.

In such a scenario, I can imagine the council's property people advising it would make more commercial sense to mothball the site and derive a modest income from it through car parking charges.

You only have to look at what developers have been paying recently for sites in Holbeck and compare that with what people were paying before the recession to see how far land values have declined.

Or, of course, you could be right and the council has simply forgotten about this site.

 

[max-da-beast]

How could they forget about it. There's still a sign for the international pool on the inner ring road hahaha

 

[aviator]

How could they forget about it? There's still a sign for the international pool on the inner ring road hahaha

I was being ironic

 

[Val Verde]

Leeds City Council launch a search for investors to develop the International swimming Pool site...

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co....m-old-leeds-international-pool-site-1-8440703

Got to ask...Why the hell have they not been searching for investors for the past 10 years? I can't help but think the LCC need a rocket fired up their backside at times to motivate them.

A bit of deja-vu considering back in 2005 Leeds City Council had selected the Spiracle Tower scheme designed by Make and Carey Jones Architects for developers HBG Properties and Barratt Homes to replace the International Pool: http://www.building.co.uk/a-spiracle-in-leeds/3059607.article http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=276992

Shame never to see that proposal built although Make architects also had a vision for the radical Kite Tower on that same site:

Certainly the International Pool site is a huge site for a potential landmark development.

 

[leedsutd]

The council have put the land up for sale so let’s hope something very tall is proposed

https://news.leeds.gov.uk/major-dev...comes-to-the-market-in-the-west-end-of-leeds/

 

[mike okane]

or even better actually built

 

[agkita]

I swear it had been on right move commercial for over a year.
Along with Sovereign Square Hotel site.
Maybe I'm losing it.

 

[hzrd]

I swear it had been on right move commercial for over a year.
Along with Sovereign Square Hotel site.
Maybe I'm losing it.

Your right, it was indeed on rightmove for a couple of years.

We are obviously experiencing another Mandela Effect scenario.

These glitches in reality are occuring almost regularly now in the Leeds development world.

:bash: :nuts: hno: :lol:

 

[hzrd]

A bit more info, but again nothing particularly new here...

https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/prominent-leeds-site-brought-to-market

Prominent Leeds site brought to market

A prominent Leeds city centre site earmarked for a multimillion-pound redevelopment has been brought to market.

Formerly the International Pool, the 2.77-acre site at Lisbon Street (owned by Leeds City Council), sits to the west of the city centre and in the city's professional core.

The site has the potential for about half a million sq ft of mixed-use commercial and retail space and could include residential units or a hotel, to service the city's growing business and visitor economy.

The council presented the International Pool site as a development opportunity at MIPIM in March 2019.

Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "We feel it is the right time to release the land and open up this multi million pound development opportunity and therefore further regeneration potential in this key gateway location.

"The opportunity for a developer to acquire a site near a number of big name occupiers will be a real draw. The size and location of this land makes it one of the best connected in the city and we are excited to see what development comes forward."

Jeff Pearey, lead director at JLL's Leeds office who is working with the council to market the property, added: "Lisbon Street is a prime site in this thriving quarter of Leeds which has the potential to be redeveloped into a mixed use scheme.

"Businesses such as Link Market Services, Mazars and Reed Smith have more recently located to into the city centre and with Channel 4's imminent arrival we expect Leeds' international profile to build on this momentum."

 

[10123]

The site will have received a number of offers no doubt but the council obviously want more or at least believe it's worth more.

The site is way too big to begin with which explains why it's not sold yet, there isn't an incentive to build high rise PRS and if rental values aren't high enough it might not be worth purchasing the land for the rate of return. Doesn't seem like the right location for student which leaves only offices, it's next to the IRR so it could be a good spot for a head office but again the site is huge.

LCC should split the land into three, sell the first plot to the highest bidder then wait until construction begins to release the other plots which in turn should pent up the value of the land.

 

[Val Verde]

Was there no intent to sell the International Pool site back when the Spiracle Tower was proposed back in 2005? Still whoever buys this site I hope actually gets something built there as opposed to just leaving what could potentially be a key landmark site as a surface car park.