Leeds engineering firm appointed to £12m Kirkgate Market revamp

Leeds-based Adept Civil and Structural Consulting Engineers has been appointed to provide a full range of structural engineering services on the refurbishment of Leeds Kirkgate Market, which is due to be completed in autumn 2016.

More than £12m is being invested in the renovation of the Grade I-listed market to ensure it is well-placed to benefit from the neighbouring £150m Victoria Gate development, opening next year.

Leeds Kirkgate Market remains the largest covered market in Europe and housed the first ever Marks and Spencer in the 1880’s.

Principal contractor Interserve, part of the international support services and construction Interserve group, has appointed Adept to provide a full range of civil and structural engineering services, which includes designing the structures for the Market’s new retail units and service areas, as well as creating a brand new event space that will become one of the Market’s key focal points.

Adept is also tasked with verifying the adequacy of the roof structure, designing a replacement floor slab and upgrading the market’s drainage system.

Matthew Ramsden, director at Adept, said: “This is a complex project because the Market was mostly constructed in four main periods dating back to 1875, 1904, 1976 and 1981 and each section has its own history and challenges. Large parts of the building are in need of repair and the drainage system is antiquated by today’s standards.

“As a local Leeds based business, we’re delighted to be involved with this project. The work we’re doing will help to safeguard the future of the Market and ensure that one of the City’s most iconic buildings remains a valuable and sustainable asset in Leeds for many generations to come.”

Eamonn Cahill, senior project manager for Interserve, added: “This is a hugely exciting project for Leeds at a time when the City’s retail offering is going from strength to strength. Once this work is complete it will enable Kirkgate Market to complement its neighbouring developments and greatly enhance the experience for shoppers visiting the Market.

“Adept’s team has a wealth of experience working on other large-scale and historical buildings and immediately understood the project’s requirements, which made them the ideal engineers for us to work with.”

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