Artwork will cover Cornmarket demolition hoardings

Jesus College is refurbishing Northgate House, on the corner of Cornmarket and Market Street, to create new shop units and college accommodation.

Work started in March inside the row of shops once featuring fashion giants Next and River Island. They both switched to the Westgate Centre in 2017.

Fixtures and fittings from the former shops have now been removed to prepare for major demolition.

Other work, which is being carried out by contractors BAM Construction, has also been completed, including dismantling the existing Jesus College boundary wall, decommissioning a high-voltage substation in the basement of the building, and installing a temporary substation on Market Street.

A Jesus College spokesman said: "Over the next few weeks, temporary works will continue within the existing building but you will also see the installation of perimeter protection scaffolding, and the hoardings with design graphics will be installed towards the end of the month."

It is not yet known what designs will be featured but similar hoardings erected when the Westgate Centre was being revamped featured information boards about the city's history.

The Jesus College scheme is expected to be completed by March 2021, to coincide with the college’s 450th anniversary.

The latest newsletter from contractors to shopkeepers and residents added: "The redevelopment will consist of 72 student rooms, with cafe, event space, state-of-the-art digital hub and associated teaching facilities."

It added: "Throughout the project's duration we will be engaging in activities which will benefit the community.

"These will include activities with schools and other community projects.

"This new project takes BAM past £250m of construction works in the Oxfordshire area over 12 years."

Other projects include the multi-million pound renovation of the Ashmolean Museum in 2009.

Principal of Jesus College Sir Nigel Shadbolt said earlier: "New retail spaces on the ground floor will help regenerate the city centre, and access via Market Street will help bring the college closer to the local community.

“We see this as an opportunity not just to embrace the future of learning at Jesus College, but to help improve and enhance the Cornmarket area of Oxford.”

Above the new retail units there will be student rooms.

There will also be a ‘gatehouse’ providing teaching rooms and exhibition space, in the scheme designed by MICA Architects.

The redevelopment of Northgate House was backed by city councillors in August after it was called in over fears it was too tall.

Access arrangements agreed with the city and county councils means lorries are being allowed to use Cornmarket to make deliveries or remove materials but not between between 10am and 7pm.

Between 5am and 10am they can use the street to make deliveries, and after 7pm by agreement, driving in at Carfax and leaving via George Street.