Rates Payable Upon Enquiry

Introduction

Event Central is a regeneration project commissioned by Sheffield City Council and funded via the Future High Streets Fund.
Situated in the centre of the historic shopping street of Fargate, the building has been acquired by Sheffield City Council and is being renovated for a mix of uses.
Sheffield City Council wish to develop an exciting, vibrant cultural community hub building which also supports and offers additional opportunities to support and extend the external events space. The intention is to provide a part community, part commercial offering that will act as a blueprint and catalyst for the further regeneration of Fargate, High Street and the city centre.
We are seeking an inspired and active operating partner capable of delivering and developing the Council’s vision for the new Event Central, and to link it closely with the wider cultural life of the city and its many diverse communities.

The Vision

Our objective is to deliver a facility that will showcase Sheffield’s diverse creative talent within the building and in the public realm on Fargate. Event Central will be a creative foundry driving development, encouraging cross fertilisation of ideas, and creating artistic content inspiring events year-round.
Future-focused and highly active, its creative output will be ever changing and on curated view to visitors. Vibrant, welcoming, and with inclusion at its heart, it will be a loved home for residents from all cultures.
Arrival to the building should be through a lively, curated space reflecting the range of activities in the building and City. The ground floor should be a flexible event space intimately connected with Fargate via direct physical and visual access. It can be informally subdivided to make an intimate meeting space or used to its full extent physically and digitally.
Events and experiences could include exhibitions, live feed content, workshops and talks in an environment that is open to all and includes comfortable informal space to meet and dwell.
The basement space is to be operated as a music venue, filling a need in the city for a 200 capacity standing venue. The basement has a bar area to support performances, as well as back room areas and support spaces. The ground floor includes a cafe / juice bar which can be used to support larger events in the basement.
Over six storeys, Event Central should support
a wide range of uses including:
- Artistic creation (visual arts, music and theatre production, digital arts)
- Performance and exhibition
- Visitor engagement
- Co-working and collaboration
- Social connection / informal meeting / community engagement
- Research and development
- Event operations (within the building, on Fargate and city-wide)

Event Central

Event Central will support outdoor events by providing some or all of the following:
- Information and ticketing
- Stage door
- Flexible accessible space at ground floor
- A hub for the connection to the Fargate data infrastructure and onward connection to streaming platforms
- Technical support areas
- Space which can be dual purposed into artistic lounge and change facilities
The design team proposal allows for a fully functional public building over six floors, including workable solutions for means of escape, compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act, vertical circulation, permeability etc. The building has been designed to a CAT A fit out. These works will be carried out by the Council.
The City Council is seeking an occupier who will run the building for the intended mix of community and commercial events, with a strong driver to support and enhance the community in Sheffield City Centre and throughout the cultural life of the city.

The Opportunity

We are appointed to identify an occupier to deliver this exciting project. The operator will be fundamental to the success of this project and will take a lead the regeneration of the wider Fargate area.
We are seeking expressions of interest to run this space. We will consider a variety of options including management agreements, traditional tenancies and operator agreements.
Within the first stage of the process we are seeking expressions of interest. A specific guidance document is available on request and clarifies the information needed. In brief our client will need to understand the following:
- Identity of the operator including financial background
- Track record of delivering similar or relevant projects
- Proposed overview of the proposed project including budgets
- Contractual preference (management agreement, lease etc)
- The council are open minded as to the structure of the transaction and welcome proposals.

Timeframe and Submissions

Interested parties will need to submit a proposal by 12 noon on the 19th October. Proposal’s will need to be submitted by email to Matthew Hayman (matthew.hayman@sheffield.gov.uk). Or a hard copy may be sent to: FAO Matthew Hayman, Sheffield City Council, 1 Union Street, Howden House, Sheffield, S1 2SH.
Following the initial submissions the council will be looking to shortlist a number of operators and will be asking them for more detailed proposals. These will include details around the works to the building, the operation of the building and contractual and financial considerations.

Further information

A data room has been set up and contains the following information:
- Plans (pdf & CAD)
- Further details on FHSF
- Specification
- Offer procedure template
Access can be gained by contacting the retained agent.