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Roundhay Park Mansion reveals new look
It's been a long wait but the new-look Mansion at Roundhay Park is about to open its doors.
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When the doors to the Roundhay Park Mansion were shut in 2003, few would have thought six long years would pass before they reopened.
In fact, the building's future remained uncertain right up until last year, when the city council awarded a new tenancy to Leeds-based venue and event management company, Dine.
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The move paved the way for a huge overhaul of the building, which will open to the public again on Monday.
To say it has been a difficult birth would be an understatement.
Initial plans for the Mansion to be used as council offices provoked an outcry from park users and had to be hastily redrawn.
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Then the years ticked by as the council searched for a new operator to renovate and run the building vacated by catering firm Gilpins, which relinquished its tenancy in 2003.
Work eventually began in January 2009 and it has taken seven months to restore the building to its original historic splendour.
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In all the facelift cost 1.9m, including external work funded by the council.
Every room has undergone a floor to ceiling renovation, while original features such as decorative plaster cornices, architraves, wall panelling and beech wood floors have been lovingly repaired and replaced.
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Daniel Gill, managing director of Kirkstall-based Dine, said: "This building was in a semi-derelict state when we started but the opportunity was there to give it a once-in-a-lifetime overhaul.
"I know the delay has been frustrating for everyone but it has enabled us to do the job properly.
"We are well aware how special this building is to the people of Leeds – after all, they essentially own it – so we were deter-mined to reflect that in everything we did here."
Notable restored features include the magnificent sweeping staircase with original spiral stone steps, decorative wrought ironwork and carved mahogany banister.
It provides a dramatic centrepiece at the heart of The Mansion, and a fairytale backdrop for parties and weddings – the first of which will be held here on September 5.
Above it hangs a 20,000 chandelier comprising 27,000 crystals and an integral LED lighting system that can be set to a choice of over 500 colour settings.
It means organisers at The Mansion will be able to effectively colour match the entire building to a specific theme.
Wedding ceremonies can be held in the grand Colonnades Room, with celebrations taking place upstairs in the Mansion Room, which has space for 220 guests and magnificent views of the park.
The venue has also been brought up to date with WiFi, audio visual presentation facilities and multi-channel sound systems in its three top-of-the-range conference rooms.
The Garden Room, a table service caf-restaurant will be open seven days a week, and until 10pm from Thursday to Saturday, serving everything from sandwiches and hot meals to afternoon tea.
A self-service deli will also be available for those simply wanting to grab a snack to eat outside.
Coun John Procter, Leeds City Council executive member for Leisure, said he was delighted with the new-look Mansion.
"It's fantastic, a real transformation. It's rightfully delivering back to the people of Leeds access to the Mansion in the form they wanted."
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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