Leeds can ‘propel itself into the future’, says Kirkstall Forge developer
THE developer behind two of Leeds’ major schemes has said the city can “propel itself into the future” if it seizes the opportunities it has laid out.
Commercial Estates Group (CEG) is leading on the £400m project at Kirkstall Forge and this summer spent £9.6m on a portfolio of sites in Holbeck. Last week the group, which works across the UK, also announced it had bought Westminster Place at York Business Park for £4.65m.
It was at MIPIM UK, the major property exhibition held in London last week, promoting its Leeds City Region projects which it described as “significant, not just for our business, but for the city region”.
Its development director Jon Kenny, who went to school in Wakefield and graduated from Sheffield Hallam University 20 years ago, believes Leeds is in a great position to push on.
“We are deeply committed to Leeds as a city,” he said. “We think it’s a city with huge potential and opportunity. We have spent a lot of time here – I am from the city anyway, it’s a place that’s very close to my heart.
“For proper commercial and economic reasons we see huge opportunity in the city. It offers a remarkably good quality of life but also a fantastic place where businesses can grow.
“We feel we want to add to the qualities of the city to improve the options available to people in terms of carrying out business in the city. Our business plan is to deliver best-in-class products for business, leisure and residential.”
The Kirkstall Forge scheme, a mixed-use development over 57 acres has phases that will bring forward 1.050 homes, 300,000 sq ft of offices and 100,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space. The first phase, a seven-storey office building, will start on site in the New Year after contractors were appointed last week.
The progress follows just behind securing the purchase of sites in Holbeck Urban Village, part of Leeds’ South Bank regeneration scheme, which was completed in August.
Mr Kenny said: “We think Kirkstall Forge and Holbeck represent unique opportunities to do that. Both sites are incredibly rich in character and have a unique identity and those are the qualities we look for.
“This is a fantastic city and this is its time. It has a chance to really propel itself into the future.
“With the things that are laid out, such as high speed rail and retail schemes, there isn’t a city in the country that has the opportunities that Leeds has to move forward and improve its position in the UK as a place to live and do business.”
