Local firm New Era Development aims to set B&K to work on the 21-storey mixed leisure, commercial and student halls scheme early next year.

The New Era Square multi-block scheme will be located near St Mary’s church on the site of the city’s largest Chinese supermarket and associated parking lot.

The developers hope to attract other Chinese traders as future tenants to create a Chinatown in Sheffield.

Around 695 student rooms will be built in the main tower and lower rise buildings with around 70,000 sq ft of retail and business incubator office space on the lower floors.

These buildings will be clustered around a new pedestrianised plaza.

Phase one, which includes the what will be Sheffield’s tallest tower in a decade. After that K H Oriental supermarket will relocate into the building allowing phase two to start for completion of the whole scheme by 2018

Jerry Cheung, managing director of New Era Development (UK) Ltd, said: “As well as providing leisure and residential facilities, the China Business Incubator within the development will become a hub for promoting international trade, focusing on opportunities for businesses to increase their presence in China and to bring more inward business from the Far East.

“We are very much looking forward to seeing our vision of this exciting project come to life once work begins.“