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Rotherham Council is engaging with the private sector over plans to replace two large burnt out buildings in Rotherham town centre.
Rothbiz reported earlier this month on an update regarding the long-awaited revamp plans to address the eyesore on Corporation Street – a key gateway into town.
The authority served a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) in April after negotiations with the owners failed with the council previously stating that there is a “wide gulf between the landowner’s expectations on price and realistic values for the properties.”
The CPO is running alongside the authority’s attempt to acquire the property by private treaty, but this has been complicated with the recent death of the landowner and the property going into probate.
The council’s plans for 3-7 Corporation Street are to demolish the fire-damaged properties and replace them with a £6m mixed use scheme. Comprising of apartments with commercial space on the ground floor, plans were approved last month.
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Paul Woodcock, regeneration and environment director at Rotherham Council, told councillors last week: “Once we get hold of the buildings, either through agreement or by CPO, the next stage will be going out to seek a private developer. If that is not forthcoming, the council will continue and develop the site.”
Tender documents state: “The purpose of this engagement is to establish the level of interest in the redevelopment of a Rotherham Town Centre site (No. 3-7 Corporation Street). The engagement explores local market conditions, level of investment required and how a potential developer would want to work with the Council. We also seek to gauge opinions on contractual arrangements and deliverables required to secure public sector financial support.
“The Council is seeking to appoint a developer who will lead, finance, construct and retain ownership of the scheme, not a contractor to build it. The Council’s retained interest would be limited to funding the anticipated viability gap and securing the outputs required to satisfy the Towns Fund and Levelling Up investment.”
£3.2m has already been secured through the Town Deal and Levelling Up funds which is intended to be used to acquire the land, clear the site and address the viability gap that exists in the development scheme.
It is a similar delivery route than that seen with the nearby Old Market, Imperial Buildings and Keppel Wharf developments over a decade ago.
To support the CPO, Rotherham Council has also said that, if it can’t secure a partner, then it will secure the necessary resources to deliver the scheme itself using its Town Centre Investment Fund (TCIF).
Images: AHR / RMBC
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