News: "No interest" in Corporation Street mixed use scheme
The private sector has shown little interest in a multimillion pound mixed use regeneration scheme in Rotherham town centre, despite the council securing the site, and funds to pay for demolition and help fill a viability gap.
As a way forward for redevelopment is reviewed, a contractor has been appointed to clear the site on Corporation Street.
The buildings that make up 3-7 Corporation Street have been a long-standing eyesore in Rotherham. The restaurant at no.7 suffered fire damage in 2005 with the nightclub above suffering a similar fate in 2007. The restaurant at no. 3-5 was also fire damaged in July 2011.
Rothbiz reported in October 2023 that, having acquired the properties and secured planning permission for a £6m scheme, Rotherham Council began a tender excercise to appoint a developer for the site.
Tender documents showed that Rotherham Council wanted a developer to deliver, manage and own the development with the contract having a total anticipated value of £4.2m, based on a council contribution plus the anticipated sales value of residential and commercial units outlined in the approved scheme.
The documents added: "The Council is seeking to appoint a developer who will lead, finance, manage delivery, and retain ownership of the scheme. Other than securing and transferring the land to the developer and funding any viability gap that may exist on the development, the Council does not anticipate having any role in the development or the longer-term ownership and management of the site."
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However, council minutes now show that, following the tender exercise, there "was no interest, likely due to the smaller size of the scheme."
Designed by AHR Architects, the proposals show a mixed use building, between two and four storeys in height, comprising 19 1-bed and 2-bed flats and three units totalling 1,238 sq ft of commercial floorspace, plus access, external landscaping and car parking.
Discussions have taken place regarding further options to create a wider package of development in the area, which has been earmarked by the council as an emerging leisure and cultural quarter. Other sites, close to the soon-to-complete Forge Island scheme, include the former bank buildings and the vacant former bingo hall / cinema, which is also owned by the council.
Corporation Street and the Riverside Gardens area is also set to benefit from significant public realm improvements.
For the burnt out buildings site, £3.2m has already been secured through the Town Deal and Levelling Up funds which was intended to be used to acquire the land, clear the site and address the viability gap that exists in the development scheme.
This week, local firm, Demex Ltd, has been confirmed as the contractor leading on the demolition of the burnt out buildings.
The demolition is said to be complex due to vegetation and asbestos and as such will happen in two parts starting with the nightclub and followed by the restaurant.
The £108,000 contract explains that: "It is anticipated that the contract will commence in April 2024 and will run for a period of 12 weeks making the expiry date September 2024 (over 2 phases 8/4 weeks)."
Images: AHR / Google Maps
As a way forward for redevelopment is reviewed, a contractor has been appointed to clear the site on Corporation Street.
The buildings that make up 3-7 Corporation Street have been a long-standing eyesore in Rotherham. The restaurant at no.7 suffered fire damage in 2005 with the nightclub above suffering a similar fate in 2007. The restaurant at no. 3-5 was also fire damaged in July 2011.
Rothbiz reported in October 2023 that, having acquired the properties and secured planning permission for a £6m scheme, Rotherham Council began a tender excercise to appoint a developer for the site.
Tender documents showed that Rotherham Council wanted a developer to deliver, manage and own the development with the contract having a total anticipated value of £4.2m, based on a council contribution plus the anticipated sales value of residential and commercial units outlined in the approved scheme.
The documents added: "The Council is seeking to appoint a developer who will lead, finance, manage delivery, and retain ownership of the scheme. Other than securing and transferring the land to the developer and funding any viability gap that may exist on the development, the Council does not anticipate having any role in the development or the longer-term ownership and management of the site."
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However, council minutes now show that, following the tender exercise, there "was no interest, likely due to the smaller size of the scheme."
Designed by AHR Architects, the proposals show a mixed use building, between two and four storeys in height, comprising 19 1-bed and 2-bed flats and three units totalling 1,238 sq ft of commercial floorspace, plus access, external landscaping and car parking.
Discussions have taken place regarding further options to create a wider package of development in the area, which has been earmarked by the council as an emerging leisure and cultural quarter. Other sites, close to the soon-to-complete Forge Island scheme, include the former bank buildings and the vacant former bingo hall / cinema, which is also owned by the council.
Corporation Street and the Riverside Gardens area is also set to benefit from significant public realm improvements.
For the burnt out buildings site, £3.2m has already been secured through the Town Deal and Levelling Up funds which was intended to be used to acquire the land, clear the site and address the viability gap that exists in the development scheme.
The demolition is said to be complex due to vegetation and asbestos and as such will happen in two parts starting with the nightclub and followed by the restaurant.
The £108,000 contract explains that: "It is anticipated that the contract will commence in April 2024 and will run for a period of 12 weeks making the expiry date September 2024 (over 2 phases 8/4 weeks)."
Images: AHR / Google Maps
25 comments:
Another pocket park anyone!
Get extra storeys added and make it viable,but of course RMBC can't build over 4 storey's....it's Toytown don't you know🤣🤣🤣
Rotherham Town Centre is a laughing stock. Level the lot and let Amazon build a massive warehouse.
Should do by now given the number of times you've told us. Just accept that there are not going to be anymore high-rise apartments in Rotherham and that you are the only one who wants them anyway
Good news that those burned out buildings will finally be removed. Although it's a bit concerning that RMBC haven't been able to find anyone to undertake the scheme.
It doesn't surprise me, given the shambles RMBC have made of the road infrastructure. Who would ever take on a scheme where there is practically zero parking, and the roads are difficult to navigate...Can't seem your average cyclist wanting to lug bricks to that site!
Build a Hooters, I've heard they serve really nice food
According to the Office for Statistical Research (OSR), the average cyclist lugged 32.7 bricks per cycle lane journey in 2023.
Night Jamie, night Jimbob, night Gramps....
It is a fact that 62.75% of statistics are made up.
At least it’d be an improvement!
Has anyone ever heard anyone bemoan the lack of high rise buildings in Rotherham, or refer to the town as "Toytown" anywhere other than the comments section of this website? Thought not. Party of 2 your table is ready...
Do you mean for contractors? What do you think they do for developments in more built up areas? Plus council could let the developer use Scala car park as a compound.
Rotherham is often called Toytown by fans of the Sheffield football clubs so I've heard that plenty of times.
As for the obsession with a seeing a very large erection appear in the town centre, that's just the one poster on here.
Don't think there would be much compound interest
I actually agree,it is quite strange that Rotherham dosnt build any larger buildings, especially in times with high demand for housing.Just recently had a mini break in Gloucester and even there quite high rise buildings,as said a little bizarre.
Agree,go take a look in Barnsley, proper town/city now,makes Rotherham look like a village!🤣
Obviously had more ambition in past otherwise the 12 storey Beversleigh flats near Clifton park would never have been built,maybe Bungalow Bill is now in charge of Rotherhams planners!
It is a valid point though,by building low rise to house an ever increasing population,you actually have to build on more land ,therefore having a larger urban area , housing probably less people that other towns building higher with less urban area.
Yes, he is often seen wearing a long mac
He's not alone in bemoaning a lack of ambitious, high rise, buildings in the town. I agree with him.
It would be a foolish man who disagreed with himself
I'm pretty sure plenty agree with me,I don't have to answer my own post,I suppose it's obvious Rotherham lacks ambition,look at small town mentality shown from post's on here!
What people fail to understand is that private investment for projects is extremely difficult to get at this time because of inflation thanks to this Conservative government.
Towns like Rotherham need state intervention will not be getting that with the Conservatives,As for the local conservatives they do not support the town,,just look what they say in the council chamber.If you want Rotherham to get better the Conservatives are certainly not the answer,the regeneration of Forge island and the Markets are only happening because the Labour stepped up,if any other political party were in control of the council Forge island and the Market regeneration will not be happening,be careful what you wish for.
Talk bull, inflation as little to do with current government,as we'll soon see when the Starma circus rolls into town,think many have short memories as to the catastrophic times of labour spending money they haven't got,that leads to high inflation,add to that the borrowing what's going to be required to fund the coming conflict,and it's the perfect storm..think things are bad now!
How you have the nerve to act as a mouthpiece for a government as corrupt and incompetent as this one has been is inconceivable. They have overseen the Covid shambles, the ruination of the NHS, the disintegration of our care system, roads that are crumbling beyond repair, schools and hospitals that are close behind, a gulf between the rich and the poor and the north and the south, and has seen the highest levels of corporate and personal corruption imaginable. You are clearly a political moron or a man totally lacking in social conscience
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