Demolition planned for city centre redevelopment
A new shopping area is set to replace two buildings in Leicester’s city centre.
The properties at 14 and 16 Market Place North, owned by the city council, will be demolished, while their neighbouring structures at numbers 12, 18, and 20 will undergo refurbishment.
This initiative aims to create a connection between Green Dragon Square and St Martin’s Square.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said that the project represents the “missing link” in the revitalisation of the marketplace area.
Fresh paving will be installed to establish a path for shoppers connecting Cank Street to Green Dragon Square in the city centre.
The land adjacent to the buildings, presently functioning as a car park, has the potential to incorporate spaces for artisan start-ups, specialised and premium retail offerings, and street food-style outlets, according to documents released by the city council.
In 2019, the council acquired properties numbered 12 to 20 on Market Place North, and at present, these buildings are either utilised for storage purposes or remain unoccupied.
Soulsby said: “We’ve already done the link through into the town square, which isbrilliant and everybody said after that ‘well why didn’t we do it years ago? This is the next thing – a link from Green Dragon Square to the very vibrant St Martin’s area. It also opens up the car park at the back and makes that very usable.”
“It’s particularly important because it goes through from the space that has been created in Green Dragon Square through to The Lanes beyond that are now such a vibrant independent shopping area. It’s hard to believe now they were, not so many years ago, in a semi-derelict condition. It’s been dramatically transformed already. And now this link will make them even more attractive and special.”
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