Cole Brothers: Park Hill developer Urban Splash chosen to transform Sheffield's former John Lewis

The firm says it will re-establish the building as a place to meet, eat and shop, with the ground floor filled with retail, food and drink and upper floors turned into offices. Much of it will reopen for the public, it says.

No cost or timeline was given but it previously said part of the building could reopen in six months.

The former Cole Brothers was put up for sale on a 250-year lease by owner Sheffield City Council.

Mark Latham, regeneration director at Urban Splash, said: “We are delighted to be entrusted with the redevelopment of the Cole Brothers building. We know how important this building is to so many Sheffielders and look forward to sharing and developing our ideas for its future together with the city. This scheme bears all of the hallmarks of an Urban Splash project; from Park Hill, to similar urban and civic listed buildings in cities all across England.”

The plans will see Barker’s Pool and Cambridge Street entrances opened to allow for on-street dining, similar to popular seating introduced on Division Street. The rest of the ground floor will be shops, with particular interest in independent businesses, and the lower ground floors will be used for leisure purposes. The upper floors will be workspaces, studio spaces, a gym and rooftop offices with a pocket park at the top of the former car park. The developers plan to keep the existing car park structure but with fewer spaces and only for use by tenants of the building.

Councillor Tom Hunt, leader of Sheffield City Council and chair of the strategy and resource committee, said: “Breathing new life into the Cole Brothers building is an important part of the ongoing regeneration of our city centre. It is fantastic to have taken this next step forward. Sheffield city centre is on the up.”

Urban Splash has redeveloped several sections of Park Hill and turned them into trendy flats. It will be on site for up to five years.