Creating a lively mixed-use area linking the Devonshire Quarter, Heart of the City, Tudor Square and the New Retail Quarter.
The vision for this district is the creation of a lively mixed-use area linking the Devonshire Quarter, Heart of the City, Tudor Square and the New Retail Quarter. A transformed public realm will provide an attractive setting for a number of the city's most important historic and cultural buildings. The proposals will help to attract new office occupants, residents and cultural activity, and will bring new spending power to the city. The high quality designs will mix contemporary architecture with the sensitive renovation of historic buildings. The plans include the complete refurbishment of the City Hall and surrounding public realm, and development of vacant/underused sites at Leopold Street, Vicar Lane and Holly Street/Carver Lane.
Outputs
- 42 residential units
- 25,622 sq m of new/refurbished commercial floorspace
- 5,726 sq m of refurbished cultural/conference space
- 742 jobs created and safeguarded
- 94-bed hotel
- 8,550 sq m public realm.
Progress to Date
The principal elements of this project have been completed. The magnificently refurbished City Hall, designed by architects Penoyre and Prasad, reopened in October 2005, providing a leading cultural venue and conference centre for Sheffield and the region. The public realm transformation of Barker's Pool and the surrounding area, including dramatic fountains, new paving, seating and trees, was finished in spring 2006. These works were designed by Sheffield City Council and recently won the British Council of Shopping Centres' town centre environment award.
The Leopold Square scheme, featuring a stunning collection of Grade II listed Victorian school buildings, combines 42 loft-style apartments with a stylish, 94-bed boutique hotel operated by the Irish Prem Group, along with café-bars and high quality restaurants grouped around a superb, £1 million public square. The apartments, developed by Gleeson Regeneration and designed by Axis Architects, were completed in spring 2007 and Ask Developments will launch the rest of the scheme in the early summer. With its mix of graceful traditional architecture and new-build contemporary design, along with a wide variety of high calibre leisure operators, Leopold Square is an exciting and original addition to the city centre.
A further high quality mixed-use development, The Chimes, located on Vicar Lane in the Cathedral Quarter, opened in 2006. Developer Abbey Homes, a residential specialist, has created a stylish, modern scheme comprising shops, offices and a café-bar on the ground floor of the seven storey building, with apartments above.
The Wilson Bowden office development on the Holly Street/Carver Lane site is due to commence construction in autumn 2007 following finalisation of the development agreements with the National Union of Mineworkers and Sheffield City Council. Designed by DLA Architects, the scheme offers prime office space together with restaurant and leisure uses on the ground floor.