Land Securities’ Leeds mall, Trinity Leeds, opens today. It is the first major shopping centre opening since Westfield Stratford City in September 2011.
The £378m scheme, which straddles three of Leeds’ busiest shopping streets, will comprise 100 shops and 20 restaurants, including flagship stores for H&M, Next and River Island. Tenants include 46 brands which are new to Leeds, such as Apple, Mango, Hollister and Superdry.
The 1m sq ft shopping centre is 90% let, with 5% in solicitors’ hands. It is expected to attract 23m visitors in its first year.
The opening comes after a spate of retail administrations earlier this year, including HMV and Blockbuster.
Last year was the first in 30 years to see no major shopping centre openings in the UK.
Chief executive Robert Noel, said: “Trinity is good for the people of Leeds, good for retailers and is already a big success for Land Securities. Despite economic uncertainty, major shifts in retailing habits and a challenging city centre site, Land Securities has built Trinity Leeds on time, on budget and nearly fully let at opening.
“Trinity Leeds demonstrates both Land Securities’ ability to develop profitably in challenging conditions and our confidence in Leeds as a prime retailing destination. Land Securities is a long-term investor in Leeds and we have every confidence that Trinity Leeds will be a huge success.”
British Council of Shopping Centres chief executive Michael Green said: “All eyes are on Leeds this week; this is a critical moment in British retail and a welcome confidence boost at a time when development finance is scarce. The excitement around the opening is palpable, and it is of little surprise. The scheme’s importance in regards to the UK’s wider retail revival has been widely discussed.
“It’s also an exciting time for the city itself, with the opening of the Leeds Arena scheduled for the summer. This large-scale, integrated city centre regeneration will extend far beyond Leeds and even Yorkshire – it is the largest project of its kind in Western Europe.”
Below is a timeline chronicling the scheme’s long road to completion
annabel.dixon@estatesgazette.com
