Developer and Asset Manager, MEPC has announced its intention to break ground on 12 Wellington Place in Leeds – marking the start of the next phase of one of the most impressive city centre redevelopments in the UK.
Work on site is expected to start by the end of 2019, making 12 Wellington Place the latest building to be constructed from the developer’s masterplan. Its most ambitious build yet, 12 Wellington Place will be the tallest building at the development at ten stories high, offering a mix of office, retail and leisure space.
Designed by leading architectural firm, TP Bennett, the building will provide 146,000 sq. ft of grade A, BREAAM excellent office accommodation, including up to 11,000 sq. ft of ground floor retail and leisure space. Key features proposed within the final planning application include a roof terrace, metallic bronze façade and the planting of multiple groves and avenues of trees around the perimeter, promoting the development’s commitment to offering green space to all its customers.
The announcement follows the publishing of an independent report last week that reviewed the economic and social impact that Wellington Place has had on the city of Leeds, which will soon see one in 10 jobs in Leeds city centre being based at the development.
Paul Pavia, Head of Development at MEPC, said: “Wellington Place has experienced one of its fastest periods of growth in recent years and announcing 12 Wellington Place really shows our commitment to delivering the next phase of the development. It’s vital that we continue to supply the Leeds market with high quality office accommodation, which supports the city’s own ambitious growth plans. As quickly as we’re able to build them, we’re finding leading businesses to occupy them, allowing companies to expand, but also attracting new ones to Leeds.
“The significance of 12 Wellington Place is not only in it being the tallest of all the buildings at the development, but marks the halfway point of the development’s progress – an incredibly exciting time for us at MEPC. Given the quality of the building and its striking appearance, we’re confident that 12 Wellington Place will be well received by the market and help grow the Wellington Place community by thousands more people when it opens in 2022.”
Leigh Dimelow, Principal Director at TP Bennett, added: “It’s a real privilege to be working on such a high-profile development in the heart of Leeds. As a central building in the finalised Wellington Place masterplan, we were keen that the design of 12 Wellington Place had a relationship with the lifting tower, recognising the history of the development. It was important to ensure that the office space was forward thinking, reflecting the growing needs of occupiers, helping to both attract and retain workforces. We’re looking forward to our design becoming a reality, when the building is completed in 2021.”
Meanwhile, work continues across the site. Number 7 & 8 Wellington Place is due to for completion at the end 2019. Number 4 Wellington Place is also under construction and will offer 156,000 sq. ft of Grade A office, retail and leisure space when it opens in 2020. The next phase of the masterplan is also expected to be revealed in the coming months.
