Milestone reached at city development which will support up to 6,000 jobs

Legal & General (L&G) has handed over No 1 West Bar Square, a new 100,000 sq ft office building, to Sheffield City Council.

The property is the first of a collection of modern, sustainable office spaces within the £300m regeneration of West Bar.

When complete, the scheme will deliver office buildings totalling 500,000 sq ft of workspace which will support up to 6,000 jobs. Leisure and retail premises will occupy the buildings’ ground floors.

No 1 West Bar Square, the first building to be completed on the site, provides eight storeys of offices, with a roof terrace offering views across the city.

Andrew Kail, CEO Legal & General Institutional Retirement, said: “This marks a key milestone in the transformation of Sheffield West Bar, where we aim to create a vibrant new community for people to live, work, and play.

“Bringing this previously derelict space back to life is an example of how we are using pension capital to drive positive change across the UK, investing in valuable infrastructure and urban regeneration.”

Ben Rodgers, head of regeneration, L&G Asset Management, added: “I’m pleased to hand over the office space to Sheffield City Council.

“We’re one step closer to delivering our vision for West Bar: to provide a much-needed new quarter for the centre of Sheffield, fulfilling our commitment to the city’s housing, jobs, and strategic regeneration.

“This important scheme will drive innovation, social impact, and economic growth, strengthening Sheffield’s position as a leading UK city.”

Councillor Ben Miskell, chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “This is a fantastic moment in the regeneration of Sheffield and marks the completion of a soon-to-be iconic building on the city’s skyline.

“Our vision for West Bar is an incredibly exciting one and will add to the appeal of the city centre being a place to live, work, and enjoy.

“The new West Bar community fits in perfectly with our vision for the city and, as it continues to grow, will draw more people, businesses, and visitors to it.”

Peter Swallow, managing director at Urbo, said: “West Bar is a strategically important project that will heavily support job creation and economic growth for Sheffield City Region.

“Phase two plans for West Bar will commence soon and includes a second Legal & General-funded, 100,000 sq ft office building, a 450-space multi-storey car park building and additional new public realm.

“Further phases will ultimately provide one million sq ft of mixed-use accommodation, of which over 500,000 sq ft will be Grade A office space offering the largest floor plates in Sheffield city centre.”

Ralph Jones, of Peveril Securities, added: “Our vision for West Bar is to deliver a vibrant and sustainable new quarter for the centre of Sheffield.

“We are excited to reach completion of this first gateway building. Peveril Securities and Bowmer and Kirkland enjoy an excellent working relationship with Legal and General and we look forward to continuing to work with them to deliver future phases on the scheme in the near future.”

The new building is currently being jointly marketed by BNP Paribas Real Estate’s Sheffield office and Cushman & Wakefield’s Leeds office.