A new high-end opticians has opened in a former Paperchase store on a Sheffield shopping street undergoing a major renovation.
Boots Opticians has taken over the building once used by Paperchase on Fargate following a £600,000 refurbishment project. It is an expansion of the service provided by the opticians which was previously based inside a nearby Boots store.
It also represents the first new shop opening on Fargate since the completion of improvement works which have seen new paving, landscaping, planting and seating installed.
Work on a new £7m events hub is due to start later this year, and a new pub is expected to open in the former Yorkshire Bank building this summer.
Franchise owner David Blenkinsop said: “After 14 years here we are excited to be staying, growing, and investing in Fargate. Our new store keeps us in the heart of everything and is a major vote of confidence in the street.”
The new shop has been funded in part by a £35,000 ReNew grant from Sheffield Council, which helps businesses renovate empty shops and underused spaces.
Coun Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “I’m thrilled to be able to welcome Boots Opticians to Fargate signalling yet another vote of confidence in the transformation we have brought to the popular street.
“With that regeneration work coming to an end, Fargate will be able to continue being the busy, thriving place it has always been."
