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 26 years, but here is what the centre looked like in its opening week.
All images courtesy of White Rose.
7. White Rose in 1997
The distance to walk from one end of White Rose to the other is 1⁄4 mile Photo: White Rose
8. White Rose in 1997
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 Photo: White Rose
9. White Rose in 1997
On opening, White Rose had its own radio station streamed live from the centre. Photo: White Rose
10. White Rose in 1997
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 later this year Photo: White Rose
11. White Rose in 1997
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 Photo: White Rose
12. White Rose in 1997
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 Photo: White Rose