Fargate: Iconic new building in Sheffield city centre '90 per cent likely' to be restaurant or bar

A landmark new building in pride of place on a premium Sheffield street is "90 per cent" likely to be a restaurant or bar, the developer said.

The former Next store site, on the corner of Norfolk Row, is set to be transformed into  a two-storey unit with full height windows and a roof terrace.

It is 90 per cent likely to be let to a hospitality operator, according to David Woodhead, of Woodhead Investments.

The firm is hoping to win planning approval within days, before appointing a contractor to start in the new year, he added. Construction is set to last 12 months and the development open in 2025.

Mr Woodhead said he’d had interest from two local businesses but he was holding out for a national operator.

He added: "We’re awaiting a planning decision before tendering for a builder. It’s all hopefully about to happen."

The project hit problems last year when structural columns were found to be too weak to reuse. Then the builder went bust.

Sheffield architects Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson have described their design as 'an iconic symbol of the city’s progress'.

The announcement comes as Fargate shifts from retail to culture, coffee shops and restaurants.