Secret funding for Sheffield city centre development

Sheffield Council Leader Julie Dore made a “key decision” on behalf of the council to organise emergency funding for the NUM’s former headquarters on Holly Street.

A notice says: “The council is seeking to guarantee additional funding to enable the comprehensive refurbishment of this prominent building to be completed.”

The council should normally give 28 days public notice of these orders but the report adds: “The arrangements subject to this report are time sensitive and we have to respond before the opportunity is lost and 28 days is too long.”

There are no details about how much funding has been given or what it is being used for. Sheffield Council has refused to comment, saying the matter is “commercially sensitive”.

Quest Property, a Barnsley based property company, has the long-term lease of the building and the adjacent car park. It will redevelop the existing building from its current derelict state into offices and restaurants.

The £5.5m renovation is being funded between CBRE, a real estate investment firm; the Sheffield City Region JESSICA Fund and Sheffield Council’s Growing Places Fund.

Accountancy firm Grant Thornton will relocate 120 staff from its Broadfield Court offices to the new building and will take over all of the commercial space.

Pitcher and Piano has also confirmed that it will occupy one of the three ground-floor restaurant units. Conroy Brook Construction has been appointed as the main contractor.

The building has stood empty since the the mid 80s and the site has been vacant for the past 25 years,

There’s been a number of failed attempts to renovate the building or create a new development on the site, mainly because it had a short lease which meant securing funding was difficult. Quest Property agreed a 250 year lease with the NUM.