Sheffield’s new Chinatown set to create premium student apartments and 400 jobs

Sheffield project aims to differentiate itself from other Chinatowns in the UK

Josh Peachey
iStudent
Wednesday 20 January 2016 17:26 GMT
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Construction has begun on a new £65 million Chinatown that will include around 700 student apartments and aims to draw Chinese business to Sheffield, as well as creating hundreds of new jobs.

The ‘New Era Square’ will sit between St Mary's Gate, Bramall Lane, and Sheldon Street, and will consist of a plaza surrounded by restaurants and retail space, with offices and large premium student apartments on the upper floors.

Jerry Cheung, from New Era Development Ltd, said: “It’s not your normal run-of-the mill development, we want this place to be a landmark, somewhere to have food and drink and talk business over lunch.

“The Chinatowns in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Newcastle are all very successful. They become a centre for a lot of Chinese businesses to come together. But our Chinatown is different because it’s very much based on inclusiveness. It won’t just be Chinese shops; it will be cosmopolitan and international.”

The vision began in 2005 and, when complete, will offer approximately 10,000sq metres of commercial space for shops and restaurants. The New Era team estimates it will create roughly 400 jobs.

The main international attraction will be the Chinese Business Incubator, which is supported by the LEP (Local Enterprise Partnerships). It will act as a one-stop service, helping foreign investors by putting them in contact with local businesses.

Mr Cheung, who moved to Sheffield in 1975, said: “We’ve had a great deal of interest from the public, nothing but anticipation. The area where we are building the development has been left empty for the last 30 years. It’s right on the edge of the Ring Road so the location has been wasted, really.”

The company hopes the mixed-use development will become a place for community gathering, socialising, or to holding city’s cultural events and activities.

New Era applied for planning permission back in September 2014 and, after approval, started construction on phase one of the development on 1 December last year.

New Era is aiming for phase one to be complete by August 2017, and then phase two to finish August 2019.

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