Casino In Leeds Near John Lewis
Details of the incoming Victoria Gate Casino have been revealed and it’s set to be the biggest in the North of the UK.
Due to new Government Lockdown advise, we have postponed all tours for the next few weeks. Dependent on Government advice, we may be able to resume tours on Saturday 19th December Leeds is a vibrant modern city with rich industrial heritage. The Victoria Gate Casino, as it has now been christened, will be situated at the top of the new development, alongside the John Lewis store. It’s the first casino of its kind to come further north than Birmingham, and at 50,000 square foot, it’s the biggest that the north has to offer too. Casinos in Leeds; Comedy Clubs in Leeds. John Lewis at one end and a host of superb shops on the 2 arms of the centre. The design is spectacular and worth sitting.
One aspect of the landmark Victoria Gate development that hasn’t been talked about quite as much as the others is the arrival of a ‘super casino’ in Leeds – not surprising when the city is about to get its first John Lewis store. However, that’s now changing as the team behind it, Global Gaming Ventures, have made their first big announcement about the scheme.
The Victoria Gate Casino, as it has now been christened, will be situated at the top of the new development, alongside the John Lewis store. It’s the first casino of its kind to come further north than Birmingham, and at 50,000 square foot, it’s the biggest that the north has to offer too.
Andrew Herd, Chief Executive of Global Gaming Ventures said, “This is a unique venue on a grand scale unlike anything seen before in the north of England and we are delighted to be unveiling our name, our look and our first employees. It’s not just the scale, location and stylishness that makes the venue distinctive, what’s also different is that, unlike most casinos in the north of England, guests will be able to simply walk in as you would any other leisure venue and enjoy a meal, a drink, watch the big game and relax.”
Its uniqueness in the North makes it a huge deal for Leeds for two big reasons. First off, the owners have announced that it will employ 205 full-time staff, from gaming, waiting and bar staff to chefs, cashiers and greeters. Around 90% of those will come from Leeds and the surrounding areas, while they’re also offering apprenticeships and a graduate scheme. Whatever your thoughts on the casino itself, you can’t deny that the influx of jobs will be good for the city.
The victims, aged in their 20s and 30s, were initially approached in All Saints Street, near to John Lewis by two people, one of whom was armed with a knife. VICTORIA LEEDS Victoria Leeds brings together Victoria Quarter & Victoria Gate with a John Lewis, Harvey Nichols and over 90 boutiques.
The other big plus for Leeds is the fact it will be home to just the third super casino in the UK. The £150 million casino is also the only one in the North and Scotland, which is something the owners are hoping will make it a huge attraction not just for locals, but for those from further afield.
Herd continued, “Although this is a venue in the heart of Leeds, staffed by people from the city, our customers will not just be Leeds-based – evidence shows us that a venue like a super casino attracts visitors from the region and beyond, bringing investment into the area.”
And with good reason too – it’s as big as some of the most renowned Las Vegas venues, with a capacity of up to 1,400 people and brings the spirit of the Strip to the city. Home to one of the biggest poker rooms in the country, as well as 24 gaming tables, 140 slot machines and 80 electronic table games, Victoria Gate Casino will certainly live up that ‘super’ tag.
Robin Dobson, Director of Retail Development at Hammerson, commented, “The Victoria Gate Casino is set to provide a valuable boost for the local economy with the creation of more than 200 jobs, something that the Victoria Gate team is passionate about. We’re looking forward to welcoming the casino later this year to enjoy the mixed entertainment offer that it will add to Leeds’ new leading retail, dining and leisure destination.”
With the opening of Victoria Gate just around the corner, excitement is of course building for everything it has to offer. Even if casinos aren’t your cup of tea, for Leeds to have one of only three of its kind in the entire UK is a huge coup, and it’ll be another string to our ever-growing bow.
The Victoria Gate Casino will open in Autumn 2016.
| Location | Leeds city centre, Leeds, England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°47′53″N1°32′17″W / 53.79806°N 1.53806°WCoordinates: 53°47′53″N1°32′17″W / 53.79806°N 1.53806°W |
| Developer | Hammerson |
| Owner | Hammerson |
| No. of stores and services | 80 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 3 |
| Total retail floor area | 1,100,000 sq ft (102,193 m2) |
| No. of floors | 3 |
| Parking | 800 spaces |
| Website | www.victorialeeds.co.uk |
Victoria Leeds is a shopping and leisure area in Leeds city centre. It combines the 1990 Victoria Quarter (an upmarket district of interconnected contemporary and restored Victorian shopping arcades) west of Vicar Lane and the 2016 Victoria Gate shopping centre east of Vicar Lane. It includes a casino and major stores such as Harvey Nichols and John Lewis and Partners, and the largest stained glass work in Britain, by artist Brian Clarke.[1][2]
Victoria Quarter[edit]
The Grade II* listed Victoria Quarter, known as 'the Knightsbridge of the North',[3] is an upmarket network of interconnected shopping spaces covering three blocks between Briggate and Vicar Lane, comprising County Arcade, Cross Arcade, Queen Victoria Street (turned into an arcade in the 1989 redevelopment scheme through the pedestrianisation and glazing over of the street[4] with what was at the time the largest secular stained glass work in the world)[5] and King Edward Street. It opened as The Victoria Quarter in September 1990.[6]
History[edit]
The County and Cross Arcades were built as part of the Leeds Estates Company's redevelopment of the east side of Briggate and west side of Vicar Lane between 1898 and 1904, and designed by the theatre architect Frank Matcham. They were notable for glazed barrel roofing decorated with copious amounts of faience from the Burmantofts Pottery, a number of mosaics and plentiful use of marble. Matcham's development included the Empire Theatre and all three constructions were in the same style: three storeys decorated in a free baroque style with pink and buff terracotta.[7]
In 1961, the Empire Theatre was demolished to make way for another arcade in contemporary style.[7] Having become dilapidated, the arcades were restored by Derek Latham & Co in phases between 1989 and 1996, and in 1989 Queen Victoria Street was glazed over in its entirety with a stained glass canopy by British artist Brian Clarke.[7][8] The artwork, which in its design references Leeds' heritage as a centre of the textile industry, remains the largest stained glass window in Britain and Europe.[9] The arcade that replaced the theatre was demolished and replaced by a branch of Harvey Nichols which opened in 1996, the first branch outside London.[7][6]
Victoria Gate[edit]
Victoria Gate was built on an undeveloped site adjacent to Leeds Market. The £165 million covered shopping centre opened on 20 October 2016.[10] The centre, fronting onto Eastgate, George Street and Harewood Street, comprises a large multi-storey car park, a John Lewis & Partners store, and a U-shaped covered pedestrian area of shops, restaurants, and cafes. The development incorporates Templar Square, a public space incorporating the listed Templar House.
Casino In Leeds Near John Lewis England
History[edit]
A development known as Eastgate Quarters was announced in 2004, following several cancelled schemes for a site that had been derelict from the 1970s, located to the east of Leeds city centre. The 2004 Eastgate masterplan was developed by Terry Farrell and outline planning permission was obtained in 2007. A number of architects were appointed that year to design buildings in the masterplan, including the Jerde Partnership and Benoy for the Templar Arcade, Thomas Heatherwick for Harewood Quarter, ACME for the John Lewis Store and McAslan for buildings along Eastgate. The scheme was put on hold in late 2008.[11]In 2010 Hammerson announced that work had commenced on a revised masterplan and in March 2011, an outline planning application for Eastgate Quarters developed by ACME was submitted to Leeds City Council.[12] On 13 July 2011, planning permission was granted for the Hammerson scheme to proceed.[13]
Gallery[edit]
Victoria Gate car park (left) and John Lewis (right)
The junction of Queen Victoria Street and Cross Arcade, indicated by a cross in the stained glass canopy
Stained glass ceiling of Victoria Quarter
Opening day of Victoria Gate
Blue plaque, County Arcade, Leeds (1st December 2017)
References[edit]
- ^'Victoria Quarter'. Visit England. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
- ^Mitchell, Emily (28 November 1996). 'Let there be light–and color'. Time Magazine. Time.
- ^Glancey, Jonathan (6 January 2007). 'Access all areas: Victoria Quarter, Leeds'. The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^Coleman, Peter (4 August 2006). Shopping Environments: Evolution, Planning and Design. Architectural Press. pp. 187–188. ISBN978-0750660013.
- ^The Guinness Book of Records, 1993. Guinness Publishing. 1992. p. 200. ISBN9780851129785.
- ^ ab'Leeds: Celebrating 20 years at Victoria Quarter'. Yorkshire Evening Post. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- ^ abcdWrathmall, Susan (2005). Pevsner Architectural Guides: Leeds. Yale University Press. pp. 24–5, 38, 159–61, 225. ISBN0-300-10736-6.
- ^Wagg, Stephen; Bramham, Peter; Spink, John (December 2009). 'Leeds - Becoming the Postmodern City'. In Bramham, Peter (ed.). Sport, Leisure and Culture in the Postmodern City. Ashgate. ISBN978-0754672746.
- ^Harrison, Angus (27 September 2019). 'The changing face of UK shopping'. The Face. Vol. 4 no. 001. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ^'Here at last: Leeds Victoria Gate shopping centre opens its doors'. Yorkshire Evening Post. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- ^'£800m Eastgate Quarter work postponed'. Yorkshire Evening Post. Leeds, West Yorkshire: Johnston Press Digital Publishing. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
- ^'New Eastgate Quarter Planning application submitted'. Estates Gazette.
- ^'Green light for £600m Eastgate scheme in Leeds'. Builder & Engineer. Excel Publishing. 12 July 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
External links[edit]
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Victoria Leeds. |