Practical completion reached on first Aire Park buildings

Developer Vastint UK has brought forward 190,000 sq ft of office space at 1 and 3 South Brook Street in the mixed-use Leeds district.

Aire Park is a 24-acre acre development on Leeds’ South Bank, which in time will also see 1,400 homes, an eight-acre public park, retail & leisure and more delivered to the area.

The original South Brook Street disappeared from Leeds maps with the expansion of the Tetley Brewery but has now been reinstated.

Offering 190,000 sq ft across some of the largest floorplates available in Leeds at around 23,500 sq ft, the target is BREEAM Excellent, while the buildings have been pre-certified for a WELL Gold accreditation. Ryder is the architect for both buildings.

Vastint UK has put ESG first, the firm said. Credit: via Aberfield

As the commercial heart of Aire Park, in time South Brook Street will offer seven buildings with 700,000 sq ft of office space, 40,000 sq ft of retail space and a multi-storey car park.

• CATCH UP: Place Yorkshire Q&A with Vastint UK’s Simon Schofield, May 2024

The first two office buildings follow the opening of the first areas of public realm within Aire Park, including the Tetley Green, Theatre Gardens and Tetley Triangle. Following its closure as an art gallery, The Tetley building itself is also now operating as a food & drink destination run by Kirkstall Brewery, with plans for its future use now submitted for planning.

With office space now available for a healthy local market, Simon Schofield, head of development North at Vastint UK, said: “Aire Park offers the chance for Vastint UK to create a whole new district within Leeds with the UK’s largest new city centre green park at its heart.

“As we look to the future of this former industrial site and creating new spaces for Leeds’ next generation of business leaders, we wanted to give a nod to those that had come before.

“Once complete, South Brook Street, will feature seven buildings with 700,000 sq ft of Grade-A office space, creating space for over 10,000 workers, alongside 40,000 sq ft of retail space and a multi-storey car park. Whilst the South Brook Street of yesteryear has long been forgotten, we’re looking forward to writing a new chapter in its history with the launch of Aire Park’s new commercial space and welcoming the first occupiers to buildings 1 and 3.”

Savills and Colliers are agents for the office space.

Cllr James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “The launch of this new commercial neighbourhood is an important milestone for Vastint’s Aire Park project, and complements the wider transformative work being led by the council around the site and across the rest of the South Bank.

“As the former home of the world-famous Tetley Brewery, this part of the city centre has a fascinating and significant past as well as a very bright future. It’s really pleasing, therefore, to hear that its heritage is being celebrated through the naming of South Brook Street.”

Vastint is targeting BREEAM Excellent certification. Credit: via Aberfield