Castlegate/old Market area redevelopment

[BEDROCK]

So when is the big demolition day then? Can we expect Cuttsie to chain himself to the building in protest?

 

I will be there to welcome it, party poppers at the ready, fireworks and lots of bunting

[No User Name]

I will be there to welcome it, party poppers at the ready, fireworks and lots of bunting

 

Will you be starting three threads nearer the time?

 

"Party Poppers in Sheffield"

"Fireworks in Sheffield"

"Bunting in Sheffield"

 

?

 

:hihi:

[BEDROCK]

Will you be starting three threads nearer the time?

 

"Party Poppers in Sheffield"

"Fireworks in Sheffield"

"Bunting in Sheffield"

 

?

 

:hihi:

 

You are correct, it is impossible to find bunting in Sheffield

[Fogey]

Whether or not any substantial castle ruins remain is neither here or there for me but I like the idea of a park that might make the surrounding area and buildings more interesting and worthwhile to developers. Linking up with the river and canal basin sounds like a good idea too.

[geared]

Does anyone else wonder how far this development plan go's??

You can't tell just from the picture.

 

The problem I see is that the entire area is a dump, you can't just flatten castle market and stick a park in - it will look ridiculous stuffed in among some of the horrendous buildings that neighbour that area.

 

They need to flatten most of the buildings in that area and properly redevelop it.

 

You can't expect to raise 4 million quid from private investors to create a park in the middle of a complete toilet - whats in it for them????

 

To get a real chance of investors to open their wallet you'll need to flatten everything from Primark to the semi-abandoned coop, along with castle market and most of the stuff up Haymarket.

[tzijlstra]

Does anyone else wonder how far this development plan go's??

You can't tell just from the picture.

 

The problem I see is that the entire area is a dump, you can't just flatten castle market and stick a park in - it will look ridiculous stuffed in among some of the horrendous buildings that neighbour that area.

 

They need to flatten most of the buildings in that area and properly redevelop it.

 

You can't expect to raise 4 million quid from private investors to create a park in the middle of a complete toilet - whats in it for them????

 

To get a real chance of investors to open their wallet you'll need to flatten everything from Primark to the semi-abandoned coop, along with castle market and most of the stuff up Haymarket.

 

I've read up on that and this is one of the big worries for me, they are talking about 'doing up' and 'restoring' the surroundings. Whereas a lot of it just needs to be pulled down to create a high value redevelopment. I am sure they could find some partners for that. If I am not mistaken the grand plan for Sheffield is also to move most key-shops north towards the Moor, so what is the plan for the Coop and Primark (as you mention).

 

The Castle Market is obviously going down, and it is a big building, so there is some scope, but once again, I don't understand why the council doesn't force the others out, create a nice prepared ground plan and sell the land for profit to those that want to invest (with Coop and Primark and others being moved out getting priority bidding).

 

PS: They should seriously consider making the Wicker become two-way again to aid footfall in the area.

Edited July 31, 2014 by tzijlstra

[iansheff]

If they are going to go ahead with this then they ought to make sure the old courthouse and all the other buildings are given a good facelift. Although I am assuming the old court is still rundown not been down there for years. It is a disgrace a building like that has been allowed to get in such a state.

[geared]

they are talking about 'doing up' and 'restoring' the surroundings.

 

I think the reason half of the buildings are empty/derelict is because they're way beyond economical repair already.

 

What sort of developer is going to spend the millions required to refurbish these places when the end result is a building and area that still looks like ass, and still only attracts drunks and homeless people???

 

The only way to change the area as being a rundown hell-hole is to tear it down and start again.

[Ousetunes]

You'd think they'd try and sort out other projects first before committing themselves (and we, the tax payer) to further ones. The Moor looks like Yarmouth on a wet November evening and of course, we are still waiting for a 'major retail development'.

 

The lower end of town is the true heart of the city. The few remaining buildings of any architectural merit are there but are boarded up and abandoned. The Old Town Hall is a beautiful building shamelessly left to the pigeons. I am sure that in any other city or town in this country, it would be renovated and turned into a glorious building, be it a cinema, an arcade, a civic building, a restaurant or hotel.

 

Likewise, and a stone's throw away is the Old Post Office in Fitzalan Square. I believe this is to be converted - at long last - into (yet more) student accommodation. What a lost opportunity! Another appealing building with the benefit of an open space in front of it, this should have been converted into a civic building with the square renovated for civic occasions such as public holidays, sports occasions and everything else. It is the open space for the people of this city that this city has been crying out for! And the transport links are second to none.

 

And there are other buildings decaying and boarded up. The former Electric Works building on Commercial Street; the Salvation Army citadel off Pinstone Street and more buildings on Church Street.

 

Where is the vision? Where is the get-off-our-arses-and-do-something-about-it?

 

Which leads me to these plans for the castle area. In principle they seem a good idea, opening up 'the scruffy end' of town into a nice park land. But with only 20% of the funding in the pot, who are the council hoping will dip into their pockets for the rest? The 'artist's impression' looks like the work of a four year old done in ten minutes. And that perfectly illustrates, literally, the shoddy, half-assed approach from this council.

 

Personally, I'd finish the Moor development (bulldozing the former Manpower Services Building which has blighted the city - and in my opinion - caused untold harm to business) before moving onto other projects.

 

Like the 'artist's impression', the council's approach looks clueless and the result of amateurs who haven't got a clue.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Ousetunes

[999tigger]

I've read up on that and this is one of the big worries for me, they are talking about 'doing up' and 'restoring' the surroundings. Whereas a lot of it just needs to be pulled down to create a high value redevelopment. I am sure they could find some partners for that. If I am not mistaken the grand plan for Sheffield is also to move most key-shops north towards the Moor, so what is the plan for the Coop and Primark (as you mention).

 

The Castle Market is obviously going down, and it is a big building, so there is some scope, but once again, I don't understand why the council doesn't force the others out, create a nice prepared ground plan and sell the land for profit to those that want to invest (with Coop and Primark and others being moved out getting priority bidding).

 

PS: They should seriously consider making the Wicker become two-way again to aid footfall in the area.

 

Have you ever thought that the Council doesnt own all those surrounding buildings. It would be great if they could just knock quite a few of them down, because some of the buildings are in theory just too large. The owners of the buildings might object. The co op is a listed building I believe.

 

---------- Post added 31-07-2014 at 13:41 ----------

 

If they are going to go ahead with this then they ought to make sure the old courthouse and all the other buildings are given a good facelift. Although I am assuming the old court is still rundown not been down there for years. It is a disgrace a building like that has been allowed to get in such a state.

 

Its a listed building and no developer has come in for it through all this time. I see the councils problem in that they get criticised on this thread for not spending enough money and also for spending too much.