New shops in the city centre

[paulmat]

It is indeed, but i was wondering which the tallish building just to the right of it is. Anyone know?

[Alfie]

Looks to me like the site of the red-coloured building which now houses Laura Ashley on the Peace Gardens corner. Is it that tall still? I've never looked up at it, even though its a beautiful building.

I wonder why they demolished St Pauls. It was a monster of a church for Sheffield.
PS yes that is cambridge arcade in the foreground.

[rotherowl]

I remember a few years back the readers of the Sheffield Telegraph were saying what a disapointment it is that the NRQ was only going to have a newer John Lewis's when Leeds has a Harvey Nicks and Birmingham has a Selfridges. Last week I visited Manchester for the first time in God knows how long and shock horror these are 2 of the stores I never knew were in Manchester. To say I was impressed with Manchester city centre, shopping wise is an understatement, it is just way ahead of Sheffield and any other city of its size in the UK and gives you a massive indication of how far Sheffield has to go to reach the same levels of shopping experience.

[paulmat]

Yeah Manchester has both a Harvey Nics and a Selfridges (as does Birmingham), however, I found it hard to find shops apart from round the Arndale Centre. I found Leeds's city centre much better arranged for finding shops.

[Bulldozer]

That ends OK and the new bit to the Arndale. But the route from the station to Picadilly gardens, ( which they built on half of) past Debenhams and Alder old store looks very run down.

[Bulldozer]

Originally Posted by Alfie

Looks to me like the site of the red-coloured building which now houses Laura Ashley on the Peace Gardens corner. Is it that tall still? I've never looked up at it, even though its a beautiful building.

I wonder why they demolished St Pauls. It was a monster of a church for Sheffield.
PS yes that is cambridge arcade in the foreground.

You can se the back of laura ashley in the St pauls carpark photos, its got apartment on (the backs a bit grotty).
Was St Pauls not bombed in the war and burnt out and thats why the peace gardens were built their.

[Leeds No.1]

Yes I'm not sure of a street that could be arcaded in Sheffield either.

I think the City Centre Loop in Leeds works well. The transport structure is as follows:

Pedestrianised retail core
Public Transport box
City Centre Loop
Inner Ring Road
Outer Ring Road

Some equivalent is needed in Sheffield. The public transport box allows for buses and taxis to circulate the retail core on The Headrow, Park Row, Boar Lane and Vicar Lane. Out of this, the City Centre Loop means that all areas of the city can be accessed, and means that any area inside that can be pedestrianised or closed off. This is how what otherwise might be major streets are pedestianised (namely Briggate- once a major bus route). The loop gets very congested though, fair enough.

The inner ring road keeps through traffic out of the city and speeds it efficently around to radial routes.

This simple orbital structure is how Leeds can manage to have such a good retail environment; clean, pedestrianised- yet still served by public transport.

I dont think that stores do prefer shopping centres, unless its a major flagship one like the Bullring. If a good shopping environment is created, a major store will be attracted there I think.

Leeds has 4 central shopping centres (mall style)- only one has a department store, BHS in the shopping plaza. The most succesful shopping centres are CornX, VQ, The Light- the ones that are different. St Johns is a bit of an exception- it benefits from very high footfall as so many people cut through it.

[Bulldozer]

Some shots of the inside of the bullring in birmingham, the glazed roof makes it so light, ans the weir outside caries on inside in some bits.

Selfridges front

Inside, minamalist ceiling!

Other shop fronts

Strange legs to balcony over escalator

The toilets were weird, but too busy to photograph with a mosaic tile that matche one that had been painte over on the sofit of a 1960's building near the queensway.

[Bulldozer]

Heres an example of an Victoria station type roof on a new shopping centre in the arcade style?


And the inside

The town has some good older architecture but the also building some decent more modern bits, and cleaning up and painting the older bits.

[ormey]

i went to oxford last weekend andwas suprised how far back sheffield is also on the renders for the morr theres a picture of tk max seems to be where home bargains is now.

[Bulldozer]

Welcome Ormey

Whats the connection of oxford to sheffield ?
I know oxford are due to get a big extension to the shopping center there.

[paulmat]

I went to Oxford last week, and they have better shopping than we do. The shops aren't as big as gap/river island/h&m, but they have a republic, an fcuk, and some other shops we don't, but I can't remember what (oh yeah, a Swavorski, but i'm not too bothered about one of them).

And yes, they're getting an extension to one of their shopping centres.

[LDN_EUROPE]

When I went to Sheffield I really like it. However, yoy really need more shopping... you have as many shops as a small town. I haven't beento many towns with fewer shops .

[hella good]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

I think the City Centre Loop in Leeds works well.

i hope that is meant sarcastically. after negotiating the roads in leeds the other week, we were almost killed several times due to bad signage, we also had to go round in a circle to where we had come from because there was not enough time allowed to get into the right lane. after 45 minutes of trying to leave that dredful place me and my mother were so stressed that we vowed never to drive through leeds again. i also know several other people that have had the same problem. the roads in leeds are awful.

[Leeds No.1]

http://www.cbrd.co.uk/indepth/citycentreloop/

The signage is bad but the loop does its job. People dont tend to drive into Leeds that much here, its usually train and sometimes bus. Both are overcrowded but its far less dangerous, and at least the speed is decent.

Leeds is a congested city, we all know it. But to say that theres no rapid transit network like there is in Sheffield, but more people commuting, I think th city does well. The roads in Leeds are high speed multi lane roads that can be dangerous but they do their job. Sheepscar Interchange is possibly one of the most complicated junctions but it deals with the high levels of traffic well.

The inner ring road too has bad signage and junctions but it succesfully speeds traffic across the city.

Some say that drivng in Central Leeds is worse than in Central London; just dont drive in the centre. You have to know the roads to be able to use the roads efficently in Leeds. When you know where to go you can be through the centre in minutes. All this though does allow for a traffic free centre. Inside the City Centre Loop is little traffic, and none at all inside the Public Transport Box.

Maybe Sheffield could demonstrate how to do this more succesfully.

Im sure your experience of driving in Leeds showed you that Leeds needs supertram, which its not getting. What time were you driving at? Next time you're in Leeds, park and ride.

[jozblade]

Shop wise id like to see some more designer clothes stores in the city center, but some that are a bit different to the current ones.

Also would like a few more music and book shops.

[paulmat]

Hmm. I've just been thinking, we're all waiting on the NRQ and Moor to suddenly improve our retail offering yet they've not even started construction (well, the Moor has possibly JUST started). So, howcome there's not really any infill projects even proposed, let alone happening? I mean there are sites which are crying out to be redeveloped, such as Nelson House and the drab 60's building's across the way next to the HAHA Bar, or on High Street there's the crap 3 storey buildings next to Telegraph house. Surely all of these sites could command a high price per square foot (if they offered decent units) and could have office or apartments above to make them even more viable. And surely there's demand for retail space in Sheffield. I mean there's tons of shops which don't have outlets. Or has everyone signed up for the Moor and NRQ?

[hella good]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

Next time you're in Leeds, park and ride.

well i wont be tempted to go back to leeds foar about 2 years, and only then if its very necessarry.

[hella good]

Originally Posted by paulmat

there are sites which are crying out to be redeveloped, such as Nelson House and the drab 60's building's across the way next to the HAHA Bar, or on High Street there's the crap 3 storey buildings next to Telegraph house. Surely all of these sites could command a high price per square foot (if they offered decent units) and could have office or apartments above to make them even more viable.

yeah i would have thought that the lifespan of most of these buildings is limited. ive wondered for a while how long they will last before redeveloped. i think that they will be developed in a few years once our major schemes are well underway. i personally want something relativley tall on the site of nelson house, as we will get a great cluster on the skyline along with city lofts, spp3, redvers, furnival sq, and bits of the moor and NRQ.

[unners]

There whole block on Pinstone St and the back St facing Howden House from Suggs sports right down to Nelson house could do with being developed.