Leeds City Square work: New £100m 'flagship' office building reaches construction milestone

The £100million City Square House is expected to be completed by the end of this year, coinciding with the transformation of the square being completed. The 140,000 square foot office building next to Leeds Station has now been ‘topped out’ and is nearing completion.

Hailed by developers as a major landmark, City Square House has been developed by MRP and built by McAleer and Rushe. It will be made up of office accommodation over 12 storeys, including terraces on the 4th, 5th and 6th levels and cycling, electric vehicle and e-bike charging point facilities.

Law firm DLA Piper has already signed a deal to take 83,000 square foot of the office space, the largest private sector pre-let deal in Leeds in the last 20 years. Markel, which provides insurance, tax and legal services, has taken 20,000 square foot on a 15-year lease.

Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, said: “It’s brilliant to see the progress being made on City Square House which is one of the most prominent locations in Leeds city centre. Further investment into commercial space, record cranes on our skyline and the growing appeal of Leeds to global businesses, shows how our great city is really continuing to thrive economically.”

A Topping Out ceremony was recently held at City Square House, with guests including Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin and the Lord Mayor of Leeds.

Eamon Fox, partner at global property consultancy Knight Frank in Leeds, who is advising MRP, added: “It is tremendous to see this flagship building nearing completion, providing a very genuine cause to be optimistic about the commercial property sector in Yorkshire.

“It is in a prime position, just off City Square and next to Leeds Station, and the remaining space will help to address the pressing need for quality Grade A office space in the city centre.

“This splendid building now joins the Majestic, 1 City Square, 34 Boar Lane and Platform as four state-of-the-art office developments, which are a credit to the city of Leeds. They underline the fact that Leeds is now one of the most flourishing regional cities, not just in the UK, but in Europe.”