New plans have emerged to convert the former House of Fraser building into student accommodation have been submitted to the council.
The plans include a new retail store and huge student accommodation complex that would include space for almost 400 residents.
The new plans include the full conversion of 140-142 Briggate, formerly House of Fraser, into eleven storeys of new space right in the heart of the city centre.
The huge plot on Briggate is right in the city centre, with shops like Zara and Foot Locker on its doorstep.
The new space will be named Grand Central Place, as a homage to the Grand Central Hotel which occupied the site in the early 1800s.
The proposal for the site is to create two storeys of retail space, assumably on the lower levels where House of Fraser operated from, then above will be nine floors of student accommodation.
The living quarters includes 131 self-contained studios and a further 47 cluster flats, bringing the total number of flats to 178.
Image: WikiCommons
The flats will be aimed at students: an ideal location for those studying at either Leeds Beckett University and the University of Leeds, as both university campuses are less than a mile away. Overall, 369 beds will fill the building and a further communal areas and shared living spaces will be provided throughout.
Sustainability will be at the heart of the planning, and the plans hope to rival the popular accommodation available at present.
Plans need to be approved for construction to begin, but once confirmed the last of the House of Fraser signage would be removed and the building would take a step back in time to reignite the luxe Grand Central Hotel that once stood in its stop- just reimagined in the 21st century as a modern, sleek block of flats.
Feature Image- WikiCommons
Leeds
Leeds City Council confirms plans to repair historic Lower Kirkgate with work set to begin this month
Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to stabilise buildings on Lower Kirkgate is set to begin later this month, with repairs expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
Back in 2024, Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre was closed following the partial collapse of a building, leaving one of the city's oldest streets inaccessible.
Since then, the street has remained closed while plans were developed to address the structural issues affecting the buildings.
Now, almost two years after the initial incident, the council has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.
The buildings are privately owned, but Leeds City Council says it will step in to carry out the stabilisation work to prevent further deterioration and protect the historic properties.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are pleased that, following months of careful planning and preparation, we are now in a position to begin stabilising these privately owned buildings.
“A contract has been awarded for the work, which is scheduled to get under way later this month and is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
“It should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.
“By stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leeds’s oldest streets. As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support.”
Further details about the work, including when the street may be able to reopen, have not yet been confirmed.
Canadian rock legends Nickelback announce Leeds gig on huge world arena tour
Clementine Hall
Nickelback announce world arena tour in support of their new album - and they're coming to Leeds.
The Canadian rockers will be bringing their biggest hits as well brand-new music to arenas around the world.
Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the band made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide.
Best known for rock anthems including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, Nickelback have built up a huge global following over the course of their career.
The upcoming tour will see the band celebrate their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and they'll be kicking off the UK leg of the tour right here in Leeds at the First Direct Bank Arena.
The tour follows their record-setting Get Rollin' world tour, and will once again take them to venues across North America, Europe, and Australia.
The group have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide, and achieved billions of streams across digital platforms.
Their new album will be released at the end of the month on Friday 30 October, so you'll have plenty of time to get to know their new tracks before they come to Leeds on Saturday 22 May 2027.
They'll be supported on the tour by Don Broco, an English four-piece featuring Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly. Known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic approach to modern rock.
Nickelback 2027 UK Tour Dates in full
22 May - Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
24 May - London The O2
28 May - Birmingham Utility Arena
1 June - Glasgow Ovo Hydro
2 June - Manchester Co-op Live
Tickets for Nickelback at the Leeds First Direct Arena go on sale next Friday 16 October and you can get yours HERE.
Sophie Smith -
9th February 2022 
