Property business acquires landmark former Bank of England HQ

Yorkshire-based property company, Rushbond PLC, has acquired Bank House, in Leeds.

The brutalist-style 90,000 sq ft office building was once the regional headquarters of the Bank of England.

It is on the corner of King Street and Park Place and was purpose built for the Bank of England between 1969-1971.

Rushbond has plans to substantially restore the exterior, while redeveloping and upgrading the interior to transform the building into a major office scheme.

Richard Baker, from Rushbond, said: “Bank House has an incredible history and we welcome the opportunity to secure the future of this landmark building.

“There is a huge demand for premium office space in the city, and at the top of tenants’ requirements are meeting their sustainability targets.

“We believe it is clearly more sustainable to breathe new life into an existing building. By doing so we’re not only protecting some of the city’s most important assets, but we’re also offering future tenants the unique opportunity to be located in an energy efficient, contemporary space filled with character and integrity.

“We look forward to sharing more plans for the building in the future.”

Bank House adds to Rushbond’s growing commercial portfolio of buildings in Leeds city centre.

The developer has won awards for a number of restoration projects including the Majestic Leeds, the former Odeon cinema which is now the northern headquarters for Channel 4; the Grade I listed Leeds Corn Exchange, a centre for independent shops and cafes and First White Cloth Hall; a Grade II listed building in Kirkgate, which has been transformed into a new workspace.

Jonathan Maud, chairman at Rushbond, added: “Leeds is an incredible city within a vibrant Yorkshire and we are excited to continue to invest within its built environment and look forward to providing a very significant, substantial and newly envisioned workplace from 2026.”