Ugly building to become a swan
A BUILDING which has been dubbed an “ugly duckling” is being given a makeover.
The former home of Lloyds TSB in Leeds, 67-69 Albion Street, is being transformed into the city's flagship Barclays Bank.
Yorkshire property development and investment company Oakgate Group is refurbishing the building.
Wetherby-based Oakgate Group bought 67-69 Albion Street in 2000 on a sale and leaseback basis from Lloyds TSB, which surrendered the lease at the end of last year.
The building was immediately let to Barclays by way of a new 15 year lease with an overall rent of £450,000 per year.
The 16,000 sq ft building will become the flagship branch of Barclays in Leeds, with the nearby Albion Street branch closing down.
John Grantham, chief executive of Oakgate, said: “The £1m refurbishment has already begun and I am confident that we are turning an ugly duckling into a swan.
“In my view, this was one of the ugliest buildings in Leeds, like the Merrion Centre, and it is going to be unrecognisable by the time we have finished.
“One of the building's main problems, apart from its unattractive facade, was that it didn't comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. Wheelchair users found it difficult to gain access. That will now change.”
The building will be handed over to Barclays in the late autumn of this year and the new state-of-the-art-bank is expected to open shortly afterwards.
