The Grand Arcade in Leeds has been given a facelift worth £500k.
The refurbishment work includes the laying of a Yorkshire Stone floor, from Rand & Asquith Yorkshire Stone Quarry throughout, in-keeping with the building’s Renaissance style design with Art Nouveau decorative details.
The work also saw seventeen handmade brass period lanterns hung from the roof trusses, plus new paintwork and period signage, from Leeds based West Riding Engravers.
In addition, several businesses based within the arcade, many of which were thriving before the pandemic, used the period of closure as an opportunity to carry out refurbishment works to their own units in readiness for the reopening of hospitality and non-essential retail.
The project coincides with plans to renovate New Briggate as part of Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zones programme, and the development of Opera North’s Howard Opera Centre, next to the city’s Grand Theatre.
Tim Watts of ATC, said: “The arcade is home to many local independents, and we believe the works have brought it to another level in terms of quality and feel. For too long we have been the lesser known of the Leeds arcades, but I believe our refurbishment and the money being spent on New Briggate & Vicar Lane as a whole will only raise the area’s profile for independents making it a destination of choice for shoppers and diners.”