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Leeds wants to resurrect the eyesore of City Square
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Leeds is full of impressive architecture, exhibiting both ornate Victorian and thoroughly contemporary design. Some buildings have their potential maximised, like the Henry Moore Institute, the Victoria Quarter and newly renovated Corn Exchange. Others, however, are disappointingly and frustratingly ignored, standing neglected in their empty beauty and just begging to be appreciated. City Square’s Majestic building is one such example.
The splendour of the Grade 11 listed building cannot be denied, and is especially evident with such a prime position in the heart of our city. Those passing through Leeds City Station in their droves on a daily basis cannot fail to notice lonely old Majestic sitting right across the road. Its function has changed several times in the past, but never has it been such a bone of contention as it is today. Originally Majestic Cinema at its inception in 1922, 1969 saw the transformation to Majestic Bingo, until finally Majestyk nightclub was born in 1993.
It’s ironic that the abandonment of the original spelling also brought a departure from its original meaning. Though the external grandeur of the building remained, Majestyk ushered in a seedier period of cheesy club nights for sweaty students looking to get off their faces on cheap alcopops. Yet, with the monopoly of this market in Leeds, Makestyk was for a long time very popular and held some kudos due to its once-legendary MTV Lick parties hosted by Trevor Nelson. However, the growth of other nocturnal establishments targeting pop pickers led to Majestyk’s eventual sad demise in June 2006.
The building is owned by Waterside Limited, who have fought to get Majestic back on top in line with their other franchises such as Oceana and Liquid, as well as numerous luxury French hotels, casinos and restaurants. In 2008, a gaming application submitted by them to Leeds City Council was rejected. It was a decision which Waterside recently appealed, with full faith that Majestic would be the perfect venue for a new super-casino, complete with restaurant, club and conference space. In January of this year though, the appeal was met with another rebuff.
This week, the woman responsible for that fatal decision, Judge Jennifer Kershaw, made public the reasons for her party-pooping. The judgement, spanning 35 pages, ruled that “We find the current casinos provide something for every gamer, the Majestic does not add to that gaming provision…the applicant has failed to establish unmet demand.” Leeds’ existing casinos, Alea at Clarence Dock and the Grosvenor on Merrion Way, along with another ‘new generation’ gaming development being planned, are clearly deemed to be plenty enough for local gambling fans, and admittedly there is weight behind the argument that another casino is unnecessary and would threaten the fortunes of all of them.
Nevertheless, it still remains that something needs to be done to breathe life back into the Majestic building, make use of a prime opportunity to boost Leeds’ economy, and revitalise the image of this area of the financial district. The Restaurant Bar and Grill, Loch Fyne Seafood Restaurant, office tower block No.1 City Square and the Queens Hotel are all important and esteemed facets of this region; it is shameful that they are let down by an equally charming building which just needs the right backing and a relevant purpose. Judge Kershaw backed this by stating that “The benefits…could equally well be generated by some other use of the building not involving provision of gaming facilities where none are demanded.”
Director of Leeds Civic Trust Dr Kevin Grady has voiced to the Yorkshire Evening Post his desire for something to be done: “City Square should be a showpiece entrance to the city. What we don’t want is to have people coming out of the railway station and immediately walking past an empty building. It would be good if it could be retained as an entertainment venue of some kind.”
A ‘Bring Back Majestyk Nightclub’ group on Facebook demonstrates the affection that many still hold for the building. Now in its fourth year of desertion in a city which is ever-evolving and frequently named as one of our country’s best in terms of economy, it is about time that someone rescued Majestic- hopefully returning it to the superior definition of its original name.
Posted on Friday 5th March 2010
Rebecca Ryder
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