Preferred bidder named for planned transformation of landmark property
Regeneration company Urban Splash has been selected as the preferred bidder for Sheffield city centre’s former Cole Brothers building.
Urban Splash intends to transform the building into a mixed-use space with substantial areas of the building reopening for the public.
It wants to re-establish the building as a place to meet, eat and shop in the city centre, with the ground floor filled with retail, food and drink and the upper floors providing flexible workspace.
Credit: AHMM Architects
Mark Latham, regeneration director at Manchester-headquartered Urban Splash, said: “We know how important this building is to so many Sheffielders and look forward to sharing and developing our ideas for its future together with the city.
“This scheme bears all of the hallmarks of an Urban Splash project; from Park Hill, to similar urban and civic listed buildings in cities all across England, our portfolio is filled with award-winning schemes that have been transformed through working with an original building, keeping the best of the old , while adding new design ideas and new life.
“We will adopt a similar approach in our plans for Cole Brothers – engaging with local people as we immerse ourselves in the heritage and emotional connections many have here.”
The plans will see Barker’s Pool and Cambridge Street entrances opened up to allow for outdoor on-street dining areas, similar to the seating introduced on Division Street.
Credit: AHMM Architects
Meanwhile, the rest of the ground floor will be filled with shops, and the lower ground floors will be used for leisure purposes.
Upper floors will be workspaces, studio spaces, a gym and rooftop offices together with a publicly accessible pocket park at the top of the former car park.
The developers plan to keep the existing car park structure but with fewer parking spaces for use by the tenants of the building only.
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 our city centre. It is fantastic to have taken this next step forward.
“Sheffield city centre is on the up. We are creating a city centre that is a great place to relax, shop, work, eat and drink. Urban Splash have put forward an exciting proposal to reimagine a much-loved building and I can’t wait to see it come back to life.”
During the bid, Urban Splash worked with architects AHMM, which was co-founded by Simon Allford.
Credit: AHMM Architects
Allford said: “The refurbishment of the Grade 2 Listed Cole Brothers building is perhaps the key project in the ongoing reinvigoration of the Sheffield city centre.
“We have worked with the Urban Splash team for many years and look forward to collaborating with both them and the city of Sheffield.
“My family is from the city, my father was born there, and we both studied architecture at the University of Sheffield.
“I am looking forward to working in the city to help the client team reinvent this Sheffield icon, which was designed over 60 years ago by a son of Sheffield – my father David Allford.”
