How Grand Central Place could look - click on an image to enlarge
Combining Heritage, Sustainability, and Modern City Living
Leeds is a proud city with a strong heritage and history. ‘Grand Central Place’ is named after the Grand Central Hotel which occupied the site in the early 20th century.
For over 70 years the site has been home to some of the nation’s best known retail brands. We’re proud that our plans will continue the tradition of using this site for retail purposes, futureproofing it to meet the challenges of evolving shopping trends and consumer preferences.
The architectural approach will draw upon a design philosophy that respects the heritage of the area, whilst creating a modern and attractive building with sustainability at its heart. Whilst nine-storeys are proposed, the design incorporates a stepped back approach, which softens the appearance of the building in relation to the surrounding townscape.
The design will achieve:
- BREEAM Excellent
- Sustainable design
Boosting the High Street with Flexible Retail Space
Responding to changes in the way people shop and use city centres, there is very limited demand for large department stores as there once was. This is evident across the UK due to changes in shopping habits and the movement to online shopping.
Therefore, our scheme includes plans for flexible retail space which could be occupied as a single unit or split in to two or three separate units depending on demand. Approximately 3,236 sqm of retail space would be created across the basement and ground floor.
A Modern, Safe, and Comfortable Place to Live
Student life can be stressful, as well as exciting and life changing, with many students living away from home for the very first time. To cope with these demands, students need a place to live where they can unwind, focus on their studies, and mostly importantly, feel safe. Grand Central Place is designed to provide students with the comforts of life and provide them with everything they would need to create a home during their time at university.
Leeds is the home to four nationally renowned universities, with a population of just over 60,000 students. Approximately, 38,000 students do not have access to purpose-built accommodation.
Our plans will help meet this demand and reduce pressure on existing traditional private housing to meet the accommodation needs of students throughout the city, thereby freeing up housing supply for families and other individuals.
Our plans include:
- Floors one to nine will provide 369 bedspaces, comprising a mix of self-contained studios and cluster flats, across 178 units (with a maximum of 6 rooms sharing a kitchen/living space)
- Secure key card entry for residents
- Secure access systems
- Secure personal storage on every floor
- Cycle parking and a bin store will be provided at basement level for students and staff
Click on the image above to open a slideshow of floorplans
