New shop units in Cornmarket are now being marketed by Jesus College

The Cheng Yu Tung building, formerly Northgate House, opened in October, and the striking structure on the corner of Market Street features new student accommodation, a health centre, and a digital hub in the basement, once home to the Co-op.

The design and construction, which took three years to complete, means it is one of the city centre’s first fully zero carbon buildings.

READ AGAIN: First look inside new £40m Jesus College building

Outstanding features include accommodation built around a 'rooftop' Fourth Quad, which offers stunning views of the city, and the digital hub offering the latest digital technologies.

Centred on a sweeping curved staircase rising three storeys high, the hub will become 'a fulcrum for academic endeavour and more' according to the college.

A number of big name chains including Next and River Island switched to the Westgate Centre when it opened in 2017 and new retail units in the centre of Cornmarket would give it a boost.

Retailers could choose to occupy units from 1,100 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft.

It is not yet known when the units will be occupied.

A spokeswoman for the college said earlier: "The college’s commercial lettings agency, KLM, is in ongoing talks with a number of potential retail tenants and welcomes enquiries from interested retail businesses."

College principal Prof Sir Nigel Shadbolt welcomed the opening of the building in October.

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He said at the time: "We are delighted that the Cheng Yu Tung Building is now fully open; the culmination of an ambitious five-year project to create exciting new opportunities to position Jesus as a leading college for learning and research at Oxford.

"This exceptional building not only provides us with more space in which to carry out our academic research and teaching; it also provides Oxford with a dynamic new venue for activities such as exhibitions, performances, talks and conferencing, and a new integrated NHS health centre.

"In the near future, it will feature new retail units which will enhance the historic shopping district around Cornmarket.

"We want to make the college, including our research and our people, more open and accessible to the general public and  local communities, and look forward to hosting many public events in the months and years ahead in our new Digital Hub."

Footfall in Cornmarket is likely to have been affected by the arrival of the Westgate Centre, and the closure of Boswells department store in 2020 and the closure of Debenhams in 2021.

READ AGAIN: When The Store will open

While Boswells is being transformed into The Store hotel, there are no plans yet announced for the empty Debenhams.

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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk

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