Cole Brothers Sheffield: Former John Lewis store could reopen in six months

By David Walsh
Published 22nd Jun 2023, 05:00 BST
Updated 22nd Jun 2023, 07:15 BST
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Sheffield's Cole Brothers building could reopen with pop-up shops and cafes on the ground floor in as little as six months.

And the entire revamp - including offices, pocket park and gym - could be complete in three years, according to Sheffield City Council.

The ‘preferred bidder’ also made the highest of five financial offers for the Barker’s Pool building and its proposals are the greenest, would cause the least harm to heritage and the least disruption to surrounding buildings, a council report states. It has the ‘unanimous’ backing of officials and estate agents at CBRE.

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The report adds: “The preferred bidder scored the highest overall, including the highest or equal score on all of the assessment headings...The bidder has a strong track record of working with many public sector parties. The proposed project team have redeveloped many challenging and listed buildings, including both historic and post-war structures.”

The Cole Brothers building could reopen with pop-up shops and cafes on the ground floor in as little as six months.The Cole Brothers building could reopen with pop-up shops and cafes on the ground floor in as little as six months.
The Cole Brothers building could reopen with pop-up shops and cafes on the ground floor in as little as six months.

The company has also said ‘it would be the next commercial scheme in their pipeline, and they would retain the building as part of their portfolio’.

Councillors on the Strategy and Resources Committee meet on Wednesday, June 28 to decide which of five firms will be allowed to buy the building on a 250-year lease.

The authority took ownership in January 2022 after John Lewis announced it would close with the loss of 299 jobs. It was Grade II listed in July last year. Standing at the centre of the council’s £480m Heart of the City II redevelopment scheme, it is perhaps Sheffield’s most important redevelopment site.