Next Steps For "Cole Store": The Old John Lewis Site in Barkers Pool

[Bilge]

1873-1937 the site was the Albert Hall:

https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/topic/679-the-albert-hall/

 

Burnt down in 1937, then presumably an empty space until Cole's/JL arrived in 1962.

[Baron99]

Well there is apparently to be a public consultation to decide what to do with the JL site. 

https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/sheffields-former-john-lewis-store-set-for-demolition

 

Total demolition is of course the cheapest option. "At between £12.8 million and 15.3 million, demolition to make way for a park is the cheapest solution. The cost is based on 70 per cent of the area being soft landscaping and trees, with the remainder hard landscaping." 

 

Given that SCC are already talking about a new city centre park, Pounds Park, between Carver St & Rockingham St, it doesn't take much imagination to see two small parks joining up, to make a much larger central park?  Of course, a stone's throw away, there's also Devonshire Green as well. 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Baron99

[geared]

15 million to demo the building?

[Bilge]

A park would be a waste of space. There's already a shabby bit of green space on Barker's Pool that few people use (because it's horrible). 

[butlers]

That's quite some logic

[ECCOnoob]

3 hours ago, geared said:

15 million to demo the building?

It's a large amount of course but not surprising.

 

Firstly the JL building is going to be filled with asbestos and other nasties used back in the day in its construction which can only be removed very very carefully by specialists charging specialist level fees.

 

Then there is the demolition itself which is going to have to be done piecemeal given the building is surrounded by actively working offices, businesses and construction sites. Its not a simple job of just loading it  up with TNT and imploding it.  It will take months of painstaking work from large teams to bring it down piece by piece. They all come with an hourly rate along with daily charges for their plant.

 

Those costs soon rack up when you break it down

Edited December 14, 2021 by ECCOnoob

[Findlay]

If the costs are going to be so great that it is not economic or profitable in the long term that it be made safe.  Once dismantled to its core structure, it can be examined in its naked state for further ideas and development in the future.

I would like to see a massive multi level bike parking facility somewhere in the city centre and it seems an ideal location

[crookesey]

On 14/12/2021 at 10:45, geared said:

15 million to demo the building?

Presumably it wouldn’t cost that to demolish the Town Hall and relocate to the J/L building. with the Town Hall and Egg Box gone it would make a great inner city park attached to the Peace Gardens, after all it’s only a neo Gothic late 19th century folly. 😉

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by crookesey

[Baron99]

To be boarded up in the meantime. 

 

"Empty Sheffield John Lewis to be wrapped in £100k hoarding - BBC News" https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-59995771.amp

 

[Bilge]

Makes sense. Whatever happens with it will take a while.

 

We really need a quality landmark building on this site. There might be a case for setting it back a bit to enhance the square. But a park over the whole site would be a ludicrous waste of an opportunity. With a mix of uses there has to be money in it.