Debenhams Sheffield: Department store on The Moor attacked by vandals as it awaits redevelopment
Glass on several doors of the once busy Debenhams department store in Sheffield city centre has been smashed.
A repairman and staff from the Business Improvement District were seen assessing the damage on Thursday, April 17.
Debenhams has stood empty since 2021 when the historic retail chain went bust.
The building was bought by a company called Lewisham MHA 5 Ltd for £1.5m the same year. It tried to find a tenant, tried to sell it and proposed a ‘People’s Store’ selling second hand goods before it too ceased trading in July last year.
In September, the site was put up for auction with a guide price of £850,000 but failed to sell.
Receivers at Moorfield Advisory attempted to auction it for just £1 in December but it was snapped up by NewRiver - the firm that owns The Moor - ahead of the auction.
It has not revealed its intentions, but in 2021 NewRiver chief executive Allan Lockhart said options for the building included shops, offices, leisure and apartments. And it could be refurbished or redeveloped - which could include demolition.
The Moor includes a 670-space car park, the former Wickes on Moore Street and the former Staples Shopping Centre off Eyre Street.
NewRiver controls it on a 250-year lease from freeholder Sheffield City Council.