Plans announced for major Sheffield city centre redevelopment – including John Lewis building

Sheffield City Council has today announced plans for the next stage of the major redevelopment of the city centre, that could see the John Lewis building refurbished and large plots of land sold to developers.
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The announcements come as the latest phase of the ‘Heart of the City II’ scheme gets underway; a £470m, council-funded project which has been devised to offer ‘ethical and sustainable’ opportunities to high profile businesses and create jobs.

John Lewis, which has been under pressure to refurbish its Burgess Street department store since before the pandemic, sparked fears that it might close as the company reduces its store space.

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Sheffield City Council today confirmed that conversations with John Lewis and Partners are ongoing and the Council will be seeking authority from Cabinet next week to restructure the lease on the Sheffield shop, which would facilitate its refurbishment.

The John Lewis in Barker's Pool, Sheffield, features in the council's plans for the regeneration of Sheffield in the Heart of the City II scheme.The John Lewis in Barker's Pool, Sheffield, features in the council's plans for the regeneration of Sheffield in the Heart of the City II scheme.
The John Lewis in Barker's Pool, Sheffield, features in the council's plans for the regeneration of Sheffield in the Heart of the City II scheme.

The Council will also ask Cabinet to authorise the release of the former South Yorkshire Fire Authority Headquarters site and now the Wellington Street surface level car park – as section known as ‘Block G’ in the plans – to the private sector.

Investors or developers will be asked to come forward with ideas for schemes that fit with the updated Heart of the City II ‘masterplan’.

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Cabinet Member for Business and Investment at Sheffield City Council, commented: “Our investment in Heart of the City II has established the opportunity for Sheffield to become a thriving commercial centre and to create jobs.

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“The ongoing success of the scheme has built up the confidence of the private sector to invest in Sheffield. As a result, we have made the decision to release Block G of the wider masterplan to the market.

“This will reduce our borrowing requirements for the scheme from £470 million to around £370 million, which lowers the financial risk to the Council – a prudent approach during the current climate – while maintaining the ambitions of the scheme.

“We are also restating our commitments in the two key areas of carbon reduction and fair pay. This is all part of building a city centre that is fit for the future and supports our communities and environment to thrive.”

Plans for HoCII already include a new seven-storey office block, a food hall-style building on Cambridge Street and a revamp of historic frontages on the road behind the John Lewis store in Sheffield.

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Businesses that have been brought into the area so far include local firm Marmadukes, as well as major internationals Radisson Blu, fashion brand Monki and HSBC.

The new district will also form a key part of the council’s plan to make Sheffield a zero-carbon city by 2030, as well as being an area where the real living wage is paid to workers.

The latest announcements follow the successful model of ‘Block F’: a formerly derelict area at the corner of Rockingham Street and Wellington Street, close to Devonshire Green.

There, American investors Angelo Gordon are leading the development of Kangaroo Works, a residential scheme of 364 build-to-rent apartments.