By Hallie Engel
Land Securities has announced the opening of Trinity Leeds, a one million square foot shopping centre in Leeds’ city centre, with several watch retailers and brands opening store in the centre.
The £378 million project is 90% let, but is already home to an abundance of jewellery and watch stores including Fossil, Fraser Hart, Swarovski, Pandora, Phillip Stoner and The Watch Lab.
The new mall space was designed by architects Chapman Taylor, and the centre houses approximately 100 shops and 20 restaurants under a glass-domed roof designed by SKM Anthony Hunts of the Eden Project.
Trinity Leeds also features advanced digital capability, offering customers free WiFi access, a custom app for Apple and Android phones and LED advertising screens linking to retailer websites and special promotions. Centre staff members will also be equipped with iPads, to ensure fast, effective customer service.
Situated in the centre of Leeds, Trinity is expected to stimulate the city’s evening economy with late night shopping, leisure and dining, creating over 2,600 new jobs.
Robert Noel, chief executive of Land Securities, said the centre is “good for the people of Leeds, good for retailers and is already a big success for Land Securities. Despite economic uncertainty, major shifts in retailing habits and a challenging city centre site, Land Securities has built Trinity Leeds on time, on budget and nearly fully let at opening”.
Leeds City Council has also welcomed the centre, with leader Keith Wakefield saying that “the opening of this major development speaks volumes for Leeds,” adding that it will “transform the city centre, strengthen the economy and underline how Leeds is lifting the North out of recession".
