Retail Quarter jobs boom

Leeds-based BAM says it will hire hundreds of local sub-contractors to build HSBC’s new offices.

Construction is set to start on the site off Pinstone Street next month and last two years.

A spokesman said Sheffield was a “stronghold” for the firm which had completed more than £400m of projects in the city since 2000. As a result they had contacts with a lot of local companies.

At its peak, some 500 people will be on site at once. But over the life of the scheme thousands of construction and tradespeople would come and go, he added.

BAM beat off competition from Galliford Try, ISG and Interserve to clinch the deal.

Construction director Kelvin Pollard said: “This is Sheffield’s most significant construction scheme, and our track record in the city is already second to none.

“We are thrilled to be working on something that affects the lives of so many people here. It’s a demanding and complex scheme, requiring a well-developed suite of skills and expertise, and a modern approach to technology and collaboration. That is our reputation in a nutshell. We’re already on site and are excited by the challenge of making it happen.”

A spokeswoman for Sheffield City Council, said: “BAM has been selected as the main contractor for the first phase of the Sheffield Retail Quarter, which includes a new city centre location for HSBC and associated retail and business units.”

HSBC has signed as the anchor tenant on a 15-year lease.

Sheffield Retail Quarter is a £220m project set to include offices and shops.

No anchor retailer has been announced but hopes are being pinned on John Lewis.

The pedestrian underpass at Charter Square has been filled in, while Furnival Gate has been narrowed to one lane.