The site is set to be redeveloped as the Albion Square project
Former BHS building, Hull(Image: Hull City Council)
Plans to demolish the former BHS building in Hull city centre have been approved ahead of the area’s redevelopment. The site is set to be transformed as part of the wider Albion Square project.
The building, which overlooks Jameson Street in the city centre, has been vacant and rather tired-looking for a number of years. The department store closed its doors a decade ago in 2016.
The Albion Square project is set to change the face of a considerable part of the city centre. The BHS building itself is set to be replaced by a new landmark mixed-use building with homes and retail space.
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Plans were previously approved for the development. However, due to changes to the masterplan, a new application was submitted earlier this year. This was largely due to the NHS Community Diagnostic Centre on the corner of Albion Street and Bond Street, not initially being part of the Albion Square plans.
The now-approved application for the current building’s demolition also includes the erection of a specialist steel structure to protect the Three Ships mural. Unlike the rest of the building, the mural is set to be retained during the development of the site.
A frame will hold the Grade-II listed mural in place whilst the former BHS building, on which it sits, is demolished. Once the new building is in place, the protective frame will be removed.
A briefing paper put before Hull City Council‘s Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Commission in early 2026 gave updated timelines for the Albion Square project and various other major developments in the city. The paper predicts construction of a new building at the former BHS site will take place between 2027 and 2031.
The council says the formal procurement process to secure a lead development partner for the project is reaching its conclusion. A preferred bidder expected to be announced shortly. In February 2025, the council’s cabinet agreed to pay contractor VINCI Construction £45,000 a month for preliminary costs such as site checks and security personnel, until a lead development partner is secured.
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