Public have their say on new store venture

IMAGES of the latest multi-million pound retail venture developers want to build in Leeds have been attracting public attention.

Shoppers in the Victoria Quarter were given a closer look at artist’s impressions of the Victoria Gate scheme that aspires to bring the highly-anticipated John Lewis department store to the city by 2016.

Display boards showcased the eye-catching eight storey white Terracotta building that could become its home on land currently used as car parking adjacent to Leeds Kirkgate Market.

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Members of the public also got their first glimpses of the red Terracotta brick Harewood Buildings that will front the entrances to two planned shopping arcades.

And they got to inspect a sample of the metal “fins’ that project architects ACME aim to fashion a multi-storey car park out of.

Parking will be located adjacent to John Lewis on the soon to be vacated Milgarth Police Station site.

Colin and Denise Hesford, from Kirkby Moorside, raised concerns over how another large retail project could fill its units so soon after the arrival of the Trinity shopping centre to the city.

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Mr Hesford asked why the sort of sums being spent on developments such as Victoria Gate and Trinity were not being spent sorting out the outskirts of the city.

The 68-year-old said: “We talk about the little businessman but this sort of thing [Victoria Gate] stops anyone being a businessman because you can’t compete. When you look around the shops you will find the top 10 retailers are all the same from city to city.”

Victoria Gate arcades hope to attract around 40 ‘aspirational’ boutiques on ground floor level, with restaurants upstairs. They will link the Victoria Quarter to John Lewis. Pending approval, site developers Hammerson aim to start building work in 2014, with the first phase opening in Autumn 2016.

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