New district in heart of Leeds’ South Bank set to provide a home for up to 3,000 people

The latest phase will see the construction of a new seven-storey, commercial building, with 75,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, and almost 7,000 sq ft of flexible ground floor retail and leisure space.

A spokesman said: “Located on the corner of Waterloo Street and Hunslet Road, the new building will act as a gateway to Aire Park on the approach from Leeds train station and the city centre. Designed by architects Cartwright Pickard, the building has sustainable construction and occupier wellbeing at its heart.”

Simon Schofield, Head of Development at Vastint UK, said: “As a long-term developer, we’re looking forward to seeing the development thrive over the coming years, and to working with a number of key stakeholders including Leeds City Council to improve connectivity, develop sustainable transport links, and overall help an unrealised area of the city centre to reach its full potential.”

Alongside a target BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification, the building, which is due for completion in early 2025, has been pre-

certified for a WiredScore Gold accreditation and a WELL Building Gold certificate.

Peter Cartwright, director at Cartwright Pickard, added: “This is a new generation of office building for Leeds, designed to enhance wellbeing and productivity, as well as to strengthen a sense of place. Once complete, the latest phase of the development will make a valuable contribution to the townscape by shaping a key entrance into Aire Park from the city centre, while bringing the public realm at Tetley Triangle to life.”

The announcement follows the structural completion of the first 200,000 sq ft of commercial and 20,000 sq ft of retail space at the site in February of this year. Projected to be fully completed in 2032, Aire Park will cover 24 acres of the city’s South Bank, and create a new district which will be home to more than 11,000 workers and up to 3,000 residents. Aire Park will also provide one of the largest new city centre green spaces in the country.

Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “It’s really exciting to see the progress being made at Aire Park, with the plans for its latest building being a great example of the bold thinking that is driving both Vastint’s work on this new urban district and the regeneration of the wider South Bank.

“The ongoing development of Aire Park complements wider transformative work spearheaded by the council near the site, including the installation of the new David Oluwale Bridge, improvements to Crown Point Road and the creation of additional green space at Meadow Lane.

“We want Leeds to be the best possible place to live, work and visit, and projects like Aire Park will help us achieve that aim by supporting inclusive growth through the provision of new homes, jobs and opportunities for all.