Team appointed on Leeds’ £1bn Eastgate Quarter
Khalbros and Torsion Group have chosen architect FCB Studios to head up the project team and lead on the masterplan for the mixed-use regeneration of 10 acres in the city centre, to include up to 1,000 homes.
FCB Studios has a long-standing relationship with Leeds, having developed the masterplan for Wellington Place.
Also leading on the team is Danish urban designer SLA, as well as Leeds-based ID Planning, engineering firm Roscoe, and highways support from AMA.
A further 15 specialists and advisors will support the core consultant team and include Yorkshire-based consultants Urban Wilderness, providing townscape visual impact assessment; Futuresecology providing ecology consultancy; Prospect providing archaeology services; and Social, providing communications and public consultation support.
Wider support will come from FD Global, providing wind consultancy and advice; consultants Levrant, providing heritage support; GIA Consulting providing daylight and sunlight surveying; Tace, providing services and utilities consultancy; and GDR Group providing compliance advice.
Eastgate Quarter will stretch from Vicar Lane in the west to Bridge Street in the east, and from Lady Lane in the south to the A64(M) in the north.
Proposals for the Eastgate Quarter are currently going through a pre-application process with Leeds City Council, and a public consultation is expected to take place in the first half of 2026.
Khalbros and Torsion formed a joint venture to deliver Eastgate Quarter in April last year, acquiring Hammerson’s assets on Templar Street for £26m.
This concluded Hammerson’s strategic exit from Leeds, following the disposal of Victoria Gate and Victoria Quarter in 2022.
Located next to Victoria Gate, which was phase one of the Eastgate development and opened in 2016, original plans for phase two consisted of another major retail scheme.
These plans were torn up in 2023 following the collapse of significant retailers throughout the city, prompting a re-think of the direction the development should go in.
Now, Leeds-based companies Torsion Group and Khalbros plan on delivering a community containing PBSA, BTR, workspaces, hospitality, and leisure amenities.
David Khalastchi, managing partner of Khalbros, said: “Eastgate Quarter is a defining moment for Leeds as the final major regeneration opportunity within the inner city centre.
“Through these appointments, we are introducing Eastgate Quarter as a project of international significance, imbued with
Leeds’ unmistakeable character.
“We, along with our investors, are proud to contribute to the long-term transformation of the city and shaping the future of Leeds.”
Dan Spencer, founder and chief executive of Torsion Group, said: “The calibre of the team reflects the scale of our ambition for this development and our commitment to bring forward a scheme that supports the Council’s aspirations for
inclusive economic growth and leaves a positive legacy for future generations.”
Alex Whitbread, senior partner at FCB Studios said: “Eastgate has been a forgotten part of the city centre for decades. In its place our ambition is to shape a new mixed-use neighbourhood rooted in Leeds’ character, where sustainability, density and quality of place work together.
“Our approach will bring new life to long empty buildings and create a dynamic new public realm where we currently have empty lots and car parking.”
Rasmus Astrup, design principal and senior partner at SLA said: “Informed by Leeds’ unique heritage, our ambition is to help turn Eastgate into a true ‘Greengate’ – a neighbourhood where city nature, public life, and green infrastructure become the driving forces for regeneration.”
