Blackhouse to get revamp after signing 25 year lease

Blackhouse Grill restaurant and bar has committed to Bond Court in Leeds City Centre with a 25 year lease extension after Evans Property Group secured planning permission from Leeds City Council to create a new terrace and introduce elevation improvements and Bond Court public realm works amounting to circa £1m.

Operated by Living Ventures, Blackhouse Grill has been successfully trading in Leeds since 2008 and the new terrace area, which will front Bond Court and Russell Street, will facilitate external seating all year round. Evans Property Group has appointed GMI Construction to undertake the external works which will complete by the end of October 2016.

Living Ventures will also be undertaking some internal refurbishment works to integrate the new space and will be launching a new menu to coincide with the opening of the terrace.

The new terrace has been designed to complement the ongoing works to Bond Court as part of Evans’ ongoing £25M investment programme which commenced with the extensive refurbishment of the Minerva and Capitol office buildings. Work is currently underway on the 95 bed 5* Dakota Deluxe hotel and the two units underneath Minerva are set to be new bar/restaurants, also with external seating, on a new walkway created between Greek St and Bond Court alongside the new hotel.

Evans has worked closely with Leeds City Council on the designs for the Bond Court public realm to ensure that the works will revitalise this strategically important area in the heart of the city centre.

Alan Syers, Portfolio Director at Evans Property Group, said; ”By opening up new walkways, undertaking extensive public realm works and introducing outside seating areas, we are confident that Bond Court will become a vibrant, cosmopolitan destination. We want to ensure that the whole project has a unified feel and we have paid close attention to the materials we are using to ensure that they sit well with each aspect of the overall development.

“Blackhouse Grill is a popular venue within the city and is well-placed to capitalise on the benefits of the investment into Bond Court. We are pleased to unveil our plans for this important element of our scheme.”

Jeremy Roberts, Chief Executive of Living Ventures, said; “The extended lease and works at Blackhouse confirm our commitment to Leeds, a city we are firm champions of. The new terrace will enhance our offering and provide a link to Greek Street via Bond Court. Living Ventures has traded in and around Greek Street for many years with venues such as The Living Room, Prohibition and latterly The Alchemist and Gusto and the whole area is going from strength to strength. We are looking forward to launching our new space and menu later this year.”