Preferred bidder picked for former Cole Brothers building
Sheffield City Council has chosen a preferred bidder to take the lead on transforming the former Cole Brothers building in Sheffield.
Regeneration company Urban Splash was selected following a marketing process conducted by CBRE and looks to transform the building into a mixed-use space.
The former Cole Brothers store opened on Barker’s Pool in 1963, before later becoming a John Lewis. It then closed in 2021.
Under its proposals, Urban Splash is looking to re-establish the building as a place to meet, eat, and shop in the city centre. It plans to fill the ground floor with lively retail and food and beverage spaces, while the upper floor would provide flexible working space for Sheffield’s business base.
Urban Splash’s plans will see the opening of the Barker’s Pool and Cambridge Street entrances to allow for outdoor seating areas, while the rest of the ground floor will be filled with shops. The developer said it has a particular interest in independent businesses.
The lower floors will be deployed for leisure uses, while the upper floors are set to house workspaces, studio spaces, a gym, rooftop offices, and a publicly available pocket park.
Urban Splash has previously repurposed listed and challenging buildings such as Sheffield’s own Park Hill. They own over one million sq ft of commercial space nationwide that they have developed and now manage.
Councillor Tom Hunt, leader of Sheffield City Council and chair of the Strategy and Resource Committee, said: “Breathing new life into the Cole Brothers building is an important part of the ongoing regeneration of the city centre and it is fantastic to have taken this next step forward.
“The plans promise to deliver an exciting and desirable destination for people to visit, not just Sheffielders but further afield too – attracting people from all over to see for themselves how wonderfully unique our city is.”
Discussions are now expected to get underway between Sheffield City Council and Urban Splash.
