First £1million-plus penthouse apartments planned for Leeds city centre

Priestley Homes has acquired 2 Great George Street in the heart of Leeds. The £31million scheme will be a premier development in Leeds and the first to bring £1million-plus penthouses to the market.

Subject to planning approval, we aim to transform the Grade II listed former Victorian school into 76 luxury apartments.

A new standard of living in Leeds

Each 3,000 sq. ft. penthouse will be finished to the highest standard, offering excellent city views. Properties will include floor-to-ceiling glazing, luxury fittings, a private roof garden with hot tub, plus indoor/outdoor kitchen bar area.

The rest of the historic building will feature luxury one-to-three-bedroom apartments throughout. On the lower floors, two-bedroom apartments will offer to 1,500 sq. ft. of living space.

All residences will be completed to the highest specification. Internal detailing includes large, original windows, designer fixtures and fittings, underfloor heating, and the latest smart home technologies.

Nearly half of the apartments will have a private outdoor area. In addition, everyone will have access to a communal roof-top garden, creating a social hub for all residents.

The inclusion of private outdoor space reflects the expected long-term shift to working from home. Most importantly access to outdoor space is proven to boost mental health.

2 Great George Street will also feature a private, on-site residents’ gym and concierge facilities.

Experts in renovating historical buildings

Above all, in creating these new homes, we will ensure that the history of the building is retained.

We are known for heritage building restoration, including our award-winning Hanover House scheme in Leeds and Conditioning House in Bradford. These projects set the benchmark for sympathetic restoration, for example Hanover House sold out within eight weeks of launch.

2 Great George Street is in the city’s Northern Civic Quarter, just off Millennium Square. The building sits within a major regeneration zone and cultural hub known for its grand Victorian architecture.

It dates to the 1900s when it was home to Thoresby High School. The site was eventually adapted to offices for Leeds City Council operating until 2018.

The original plans to convert the former school into a 173-bed premium lifestyle hotel were not finalised. Since then, the council offices have sat empty.

Creating a thriving residential community in Leeds

Nathan Priestley, chief executive officer of the Priestley Group, said:

“As a Leeds-based business, it’s great to be able to re-energise one of the grandest buildings in the city centre and transform it into must-have homes. We excel at breathing new life into heritage buildings with ambitious plans that are meticulously realised.

“Most of the development in Leeds city centre is allocated to student housing and PRS schemes. We believe there is certainly a huge shortage of truly magnificent homes for owner-occupiers that give a taste of individuality and elegance. This is something that we will set out to deliver at 2 Great George Street.

“This is truly one of a kind for Leeds centre, rivalling high-end developments like One Hyde Park in London and beyond. We have focused on spacious, luxurious designs and going beyond the normal requirements for private outdoor spaces in listed conversions, reflecting the current work-from-home situation, and how we see city centre living evolving in the future.

“More attention is being directed at Leeds as an economic powerhouse in the North, with major organisations such as Channel 4 investing in the city. Demand for these properties is guaranteed to be strong when we launch the homes to market.”

Meanwhile to help purchase the site, we partnered with UK-wide specialist lender, Together, which provided a multi-million-pound facility.

Ritchie Watson, lending director from Together, said: “We have previously partnered with Priestley Homes on several of its award-winning schemes, including recent flagship development, Conditioning House in Bradford. The developer is renowned for delivering exceptionally high-quality and innovative projects, and we are proud to be able to provide the finance to create these luxury apartments in a prime area of Leeds city centre.”

Planning application submitted

The planning application was lodged in February 2021, with a decision expected in late spring. Our main contractor, Priestley Construction, intends to start as soon as approval is granted, aiming for a Q4 2022 completion.

 

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