And finally… covered in glory
Leeds United fans can rejoice – The Commercial pub, once owned and run by club legend Peter Lorimer, is now part of the Sweet Street regeneration project and has had two of its sides covered in a mural by Yorkshire-based street artist Kid Acne.
The late, great Lorimer owned the pub after his retirement in 1987, which will now be incorporated as part of the wider Sweet Street regeneration scheme.
Nearby Sweetfields will comprise more than 1,350 BTR homes and 160,000 sq ft of grade A office space, set around a public square.
Located on Sweet Street West, the neighbourhood will be Platform_’s 10th development in the UK and its first mixed-use.
The historic pub has fallen into disrepair since closing in 2018, including being targeted by arsonists.
The mural will be on the north east corner of the site and the façade of The Commercial for around two years.
The street artist has exhibited around the world for more than two decades, and has fronted campaigns for brands including Prada and Mercedes-Benz.
Kid Acne, whose real name is Ed Bradbury, said: “The building has a lot of obstacles, which I tried to feed into the composition breakdown to make a lot of those things disappear…
“The piece marks a tide change for the area – the start of something new and different.
“All these northern cities, like Leeds, Manchester, and Sheffield, are just an hour apart, and there’s a network of artists across them all. For me, projects like this really help to bridge that gap a little more.”
Jean-Marc Vandevivere, chief executive at PLATFORM_ said: “Close collaboration with Kid Acne and Leeds City Council has enabled us to deliver something iconic to enliven the area while we develop Sweetfields.”
