A derelict listed building is going under a £6 million transformation as part of the ‘Heart of the City’ project. 

After a successful bid from Sheffield Science Park Company, Sheffield Council chose James O’Hara from the Rockingham Group and Tom Wolfenden, CEO of SSPCo to transform the Leah’s Yard. 

Mr Wolfenden said : “Sheffield is home to so many extremely talented people who develop incredible products, but they rarely reside in the City Centre. Our vision for Leah’s Yard is to bring all that together in one place and provide these businesses with a literal shop window and an affordable route into the city centre.”  

The plan is to transform the grade two listed building into a hub for smaller independent businesses, creating a quaint community space with Sheffield inspired makers spaces; studios; quirky retail units and cafes

The building on Cambridge Street is currently in a derelict state that has not been used in more 20 years. It was named after Henry Leah in 1892 when he took over the building to produce die stamps for silverware.

Work started in September 2020 and will bring the derelict building back into a safe condition with preliminary structural and roof work already under way. 

The Heart of the City Sheffield phase-by-phrase 2 approach will generate 7000 Brand New Jobs by 2030. 

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Cabinet Member for Business and Investment at Sheffield City Council, said that they are working hard to maintain the heritage of the city while also creating new useable spaces, Leah’s Yard has a great story and represents Sheffield’s hands-on identity.

Leah’s Yard is set for completion before Christmas 2022.