A RETAILER has taken on a 15-year lease for a prime site in the heart of York.

The Co-op has become the latest tenant for the revitalised Stonebow House development, with the opening of its new 4,000 sq. ft store at the base.

City of York Council recently granted a license for the new convenience store which is offering new employment opportunities and a convenient retail offer for local residents.

Stonebow House was built in 1964, following York’s slum clearance programme, and designed by Wells, Hickman and Partners.

The £17m redevelopment scheme has seen Stonebow House stripped back to its core and remodelled to include 13 apartments, four duplex penthouses and 31,500 sq. ft of retail and leisure space including Supersonic Gym and Café.

All 17 apartments in the building have been sold and are now occupied.

Richard France, managing director of the developers Oakgate Group, said: “It’s good to see that the Co-op has now opened and I’m sure it will become a great addition to the Stonebow and Hungate communities.

"It is an essential asset to those living and working in the city and is another part of the Oakgate Group’s continuing regeneration in York city centre.”

The Co-op will source 100 per cent renewable electricity to run its new store, which will include bakery, fresh products, meal ideas, wines, ready meals and pizzas, free-from, vegan and plant-based products, Fairtrade, and, everyday essentials.

Co-op’s membership programme also unlocks additional value through in-store offers, with members rewarded with 2p in every pound they spend on Co-op branded products which is added to their own personal membership account balance. The Co-op also donates the same amount to local causes.

Students who are TOTUM cardholders – the new name for NUS extra – receive a 10 per cent discount at the Co-op.

Janine Wood, Co-op acquisition manager, said: “We are delighted to open a new convenience store to serve the community – Co-op is committed to operating at the heart of local life, and we are working to develop the range, choice, products and added services locally that I am confident will create a really compelling offer to serve the local community.”

Oakgate Group has delivered other high-profile redevelopments in York, including The Swinegate Quarter and King's Square.

In 2014, the Group completed the £90million Vangarde Shopping Park in York, home to the worlds first BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ department store and the region’s largest M&S store.