Built on the site of the former Morley sewage works in March 1997, the shopping centre was the first of its kind in Leeds. Residents in the south of the city watched as the £64million pound development sprung to life, a 76-acre site equivalent to the size of 246 Olympic swimming pools. There have been a raft of changes over the last 25 years, but here is what the centre looked like in its opening week.
All images courtesy of White Rose.
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White Rose has 5,000 free parking spaces on site – if lined up, those 5,000 cars would cover the distance from White Rose to Leeds Bradford Airport
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A whopping 23 staff have been at White Rose or its retailers for 25 years since it opened
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A number of renowned brands have made White Rose home to flagship stores, including Next, River Island, and a new Marks and Spencer due to open in 2023
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The centre has won the coveted ‘Loo of the Year’ award, as well as being awarded Bronze in a 2022 ranking of the top UK shopping centres for breastfeeding mums
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White Rose hosts its own Community Awards every year, with previous winners including Leeds’ Children’s Mayor, Leeds Ahead Partnership founder Stephanie Burras CBE, and local amateur boxer Abby Briggs