St Paul's House: Huge £3.5m refurbishment to transform landmark Leeds building overlooking Park Square
A huge £3.5 million refurbishment is underway at a magnificent 19th century Leeds landmark.
The Grade II listed St Paul's House, which overlooks Park Square, is one of the jewels in the city’s crown.
Built in the stunning Venetian style by architect Thomas Ambler, it was originally a warehouse and cloth-cutting works for Sir John Barran, the founder of the mass-production, ready-made clothing industry in Leeds.
As part of a radical overhaul, property bosses said the significant investment would provide some of the best office space in the city.
Elizabeth Ridler, office agency partner at the Leeds office of Knight Frank, said: “Once the refurbishment is complete, it will be a tremendous mixture of the old and the new.
“This significant investment will create high-quality Grade A office specification internally which, when combined with the stunning exterior façade and its unrivalled location with gorgeous views over the green space of Park Square, will offer one of the most attractive working environments in Leeds.”
The building currently has 10,500 sq ft of prime office space on offer to let, with two suites of 2,500 sq ft also available.
All refurbishment work is expected to be completed by June this year, apart from the second floor, featuring new fitted offices, which will be ready in September.
Among the current occupiers are law firm DAC Beachcroft, real estate agency Cushman and Wakefield, and accountants Sedulo. The building is owned by global property investors Epic UK.
Leigh Perl of Epic UK explained: “At the heart of the refurbishment and, indeed, everything we do at St Paul’s House is the integrity of the building.
“It is one of the most distinctive buildings in Leeds and we must honour that. At the same time it is important that we create some of the most hi-tech and sustainable Grade A office space in the city, underpinned by a commitment to ESG.
“That is what we are doing with substantial upgrades to the reception, first and second floors, to end-of journey facilities, such as club class showers, drying rooms, lockers and cycle facilities, and to the exterior of the building, which has been thoroughly cleaned.
“In particular, we have embarked on a partnership with the Leeds PIPES network, which provides homes, businesses, and public buildings with heat and hot water that is affordable, reliable and low carbon.”
Elizabeth Ridler added: “This elegant building, with its Moorish façade, is full of history. But with a comprehensive concierge service and superb offices both serviced and spacious, it is ideally suited to the needs of contemporary occupiers.
“What’s more, the combination of the aesthetics of the building, the large floorplates and high-quality facilities and the views across the loveliest green spaces in the city centre, provide a feel-good working environment which is so beneficial for positive mental health.”
Apart from Knight Frank, the professional team working on the refurbishment of St Paul’s House include project manager Mike Robinson of In4M, designer Incognito, and M&E Smith Consultancy.