Former John Lewis building brought to the market

The former John Lewis building in Sheffield city centre has been launched to market, with proposals being sought by June 2022 for the redevelopment of the property.

CBRE’s UK Development Advisory team, acting on behalf of Sheffield City Council, is marketing The Barker’s Pool Building.

The 200,000 sq ft former department store forms a key part of the council’s £470m Heart of the City regeneration scheme.

Originally opened in 1962 as a department store with integrated car park, the property freehold is now owned by SCC which acquired the lease from John Lewis in January.

Sitting across 1.25 acres, the five-storey building could redeveloped for a range of uses, subject to planning approval.

CBRE is marketing the property in a two-stage process, seeking expressions of interest by the end of June, with the second stage starting at the end of the summer once initial expressions of interest have been assessed and discussed with bidders.

Alex Andrews, of CBRE said: “The Barker’s Pool Building presents an exceptional opportunity for a developer to bring forward a creative solution for this prominent building, delivering a sustainable, environmentally friendly scheme, which in turn will capitalise on the growth and development already being delivered across Sheffield City Centre.

“The building’s location at the core of the Heart of the City scheme will ensure its long-term prominence and we are looking forward to receiving proposals and discussing with prospective developers.”

Kate Martin, executive director at Sheffield City Council, said: “We know how important this property is to the people of Sheffield and this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape a key city centre location. The decision on how the property and location is reimagined and its future use will be carefully considered.

“Although removing the existing building is an option, we are keen to ensure we examine all the options on the table, so we can make a fully informed decision. We plan to make the most of this rare opportunity and develop something truly special for Sheffield.

“As part of this process, we are inviting imaginative and deliverable proposals for either refurbishment or redevelopment of the property and are open to ideas around its future use. We look forward to receiving submissions of outstanding quality that will genuinely add to the vibrancy of the city centre and attract the widest possible number of Sheffield residents and visitors to the city.”