The city boasts a £56bn economy, a population of 3 million and, according to the Open Property Group, annual house price growth of 8.6%.
The EY Attractiveness Survey 2016 placed Leeds second in its table of core cities, while the Business Location Index found it to be the fourth-most attractive target for overseas investment outside London.
Granary Wharf
The Granary Wharf area of the city is emblematic of much of what has been taking place in the city. A £55m development will build on the success in the area to the south of the city’s bustling train station by converting Victorian industrial buildings into contemporary, highly desirable commercial spaces.
Already recognised as a creative hub, Granary Wharf is to see the construction of three new buildings around the iconic landmark of the former Tower Works.
The development will see the creation of 9,000 sq ft of commercial space alongside 250 luxury apartments. Part of Leeds’ 24-hour buzz stems from the city centre’s vibrant residential character alongside its commercial aspect.
Yorkshire Post site
Further redevelopment on a grand scale will see the former Yorkshire Post site transforming into an 18-storey residential development. Grainger PLC’s £40m project is set to deliver 242 luxury flats along with 3,600 sq ft of amenities and 3,277 sq ft of commercial space.
The facility, which is within easy reach of the city centre, is on course to welcome new residents as early as 2019.
The Majestic
The Majestic, Leeds
The energy with which the city is converting its historical built landscape is a striking feature of Leeds current surge. Right in the heart of the city centre, the project to raise the Grade II-listed Majestic building from the ashes that followed its gutting by fire in 2014 has been widely celebrated.
Owners Rushbond has announced plans to retain the building’s magnificent Victorian façade as part of a six-storey, state-of-the-art commercial and leisure development.
The Majestic could hardly be a more visible sign of Leeds’ dramatic rejuvenation.
University technical college
Leeds is a thriving university city. In fact, the Good University Guide declared Leeds University the country’s foremost seat of learning this year.
The opening of a new university technical college in the heart of the city is designed to deliver young workers with the practical skills as well as the qualifications they need to satisfy the demands of the city’s 26,000 employers.
With many of those jobs in the high-value tech sector, this September’s first wave of students can be confident that their futures – like so many others – are well set in West Yorkshire.
Leeds is on the crest of a wave.
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