Little Germany, Bradford

Little Germany, Bradford is an area of particular historical and architectural interest in central Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.

History and information

The buildings within Little Germany date back to the 19th century.They're the legacy of the merchants from mainland Europe who spent a large sum of money constructing imposing warehouses for the storage and sale of their goods. A large proportion of the merchants came from Germany hence the name Little Germany.

Little Germany is still one of Bradford's busiest commercial areas, with over 110 businesses and organisations with 3000 workers. It attracts around 100,000 visitors each year [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A617401] . The local authority is currently promoting plans to regenerate the area by renovating and converting the interior of the old mills into housing, hotels, offices, whilst preserving the originally Victorian distinctive architecture.

Developments

Eastbrook Hall redevelopment

Ham Construction have started work on the redevelopment of Eastbrook Hall in Little Germany. The project is said to cost £11 million and will convert the old building into 63 high quality apartments as well some commercial usage on Leeds Road.

The project will also include a refurbishment of the exterior of the building which suffered extensive fire damage.The hall was built in 1903 and was used as a Methodist mission.

The redevelopment is being funded through a public private sector funding agreement. The work is projected to finish by Spring/Summer 2007 [http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk/news.asp?id=43] .

The Gatehaus

The Gatehaus is an 11 story glass building recently constructed within the Little Germany district. Construction began in 2005 and was completed in 2007 with a total cost of £22 million.

The project was originally proposed as a 17 story landmark but was changed due to a rethink; that it wouldn't fit in with the surrounding Victorian buildings due to the height.

The scheme was developed by Asquith Properties.

See also

* Bradford
* Forster Square, Bradford
* The Gatehaus

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A617401 Information on Little Germany (1/3 of the way down the page)]
* [http://www.bradfordurc.co.uk Bradford City Regeneration Homepage]
* [http://www.thegatehaus.co.uk The Gatehaus Homepage]