York people's reaction to proposals to refurbish unloved Stonebow House

His father was a plasterer who worked on the building when it was going up in the 1960s.

"I remember going up there when I was little as a kid and they were building it," says Kevin, now 56. "Dad said it was horrid. He hated working on it!"

Kevin, a full-time carer, has inherited that dislike. "I think it's a monstrosity!" he says. "It has never worked as a building. It's my biggest beef about York."

So what does he think of the plans by Oakgate to refurbish the building?

He isn't overly impressed. "They can titivate it, make it a bit more attractive, but it will still be a monstrosity!" he says. "Tourists come down Shambles then they stop, look and think 'I'm not going down there'."

Kevin Andrews

He would be in favour of flattening the building and starting again, he says. "It completely hides the church, and you can't see St Saviourgate methodist chapel.

"Why not regenerate the whole site, with a single story building and a piazza? Do something interesting with the site and let people see the church!"

Most of those questioned by The Press in Stonebow shared Kevin's view of the 1960s building. But most were more sympathetic than him to Oakgate's plans to refurbish it.

Sheila Briggs, 77, used to work in an office in the tower on top of the building. It has fabulous views, she admits. "So it would make nice flats."

The building itself is ugly, she admits. But she thinks it will probably look better if the Oakgate refurbishment goes ahead. She hopes that the Havana coffee shop will be able to return once the development is finished, though. "It's very handy for the bus stop."

Sheila Briggs

Mary Dobson, 78, is another who hates Stonebow House. "It's just a concrete block," she says. It would certainly look better as a result of the Oakgate refurbishment, she believes. "I think it could improve the whole area." But she, like Sheila, worries about what might happen to the shops and businesses already there. "I just hope some shops come back. Heron is really good - it's brilliant."

It isn't only those of a certain age who dislike Stonebow House.

Gemma Keane, 22, a theatre studies student at York St John who is also an actor on the York ghost bus tour, says the building is out of place in a beautiful historic city like York. "It looks more like a new block in Leeds."

So what does she think of the Oakgate proposals? "It would be a definite improvement," she admits.

Gemma Keane

Not everyone in York is quite so negative about the building, however.

John Ives, the retired architect who is now chair of the York Conservation Areas Advisory Panel, admits it is the kind of building you either love or hate. "There are no shades of grey with regard to Stonebow House," he says.

At a recent meeting, however, members of his panel agreed that it was an example of brutalist 1960s architecture that is worth keeping.

And what did they think of the proposals to refurbish it?

"The majority of the panel welcomed the principle of refurbishing the building and of the attempts to remove some of the unsavoury areas to the rear," he says. "However, the panel regretted that some of the original design principles were to be lost and the building emasculated." They particularly don't like the plans to remove part of the concrete balustrade which runs around the car park level and replace this with a hedge.

'Brutalist' aesthetic: Stonebow House

There were also questions about the idea of introducing glass-walled retail units facing onto Stonebow on the ground floor. this might be appreciated by some, but could also be at odds with the nature of the building, panel members said.

Tim Hornsby, the legendary York music impresario who managed Fibbers for many years when it was at Stonebow House admits that the building probably isn't the prettiest in York.

"But it isn't about what the building looks like," he says. "There are some really nice buildings in York with some ugly people in them. Stonebow House? I put one million people through that building and I never heard anybody complain about the outside of it."

It probably would look a bit nicer after a refurb, he admits. But that's not the point. He fears that the same boring chain stores and franchised coffee shops will move in downstairs once the refurbishment is completed. "What about all the independent businesses?"

We'll just have to wait and see...

What others had to say:

Andrew Lowson, executive director of the York Business Improvement Dstrict (York BID) "I think it is fair to say that Stonebow House has long been a talking point for the people of York! This type of investment is most welcome as it looks to improve what has been considered a dated part of the city, bringing with it a mix of accommodation, retail space and ultimately jobs. The proposed use of glass and landscaping would certainly refresh a tired looking building and would be in keeping with the exciting developments down the Stonebow."

Alan Millard, Chief Operating Officer of Hiscox UK, whose new York offices are further along Stonebow: “Hungate and the surrounding area has undergone a huge amount of transformation recently and anything that further improves its appeal can only be a good thing. Stonebow House is a provocative building that generates strong opinion, and its refurbishment is long overdue.”

Andrew Sharp, Head of Business at Make It York: "Confidence in York and all it has to offer to investors is strong and these proposed plans are yet further evidence of this. The re-development of Stonebow House would follow on from the arrival of the new Hiscox Building and developments at Hungate to significantly re-vitalise this area of York. "The location of Stonebow offers a superb opportunity to enhance an important gateway to the city centre, blending an imaginative design with the current 1960s building."

Miles Lawrence of Lawrence Hannah, the marketing agent for the retail side of the development: “We anticipate a serious amount of interest in the retail space, providing a timely boost to York’s economy.”

WHAT THE REFURBISHMENT WILL INVOLVE

Full details have yet to emerge of the planned refurbishment of Stonebow House.

But from what we do know, it seems likely that the building could be altered almost out of all recognition.

The 'skeleton' of the 1960s building will be retained, Oakgate says. But following the refurbishment, it should look a lot softer and warmer.

The upper four floors - the five-sided block that is visible across the York skyline - will be turned into 20 luxury flats, with stunning views across the York skyline.

The ugly 'plant' structure on top of the building's flat roof, which contains the lift mechanism and water tanks, will be removed and replaced by a lightweight glass-sided deck, which will house living quarters for the penthouse flats. It will be set back from the edge of the building, so it shouldn't be visible from below, and will actually be slightly lower than the existing plant, Oakgate says.

Artist's impression of the refurbished tower block with lightweight deck on top

The concrete balustrade running around the top of the building, meanwhile, will be removed and replaced with a balcony, softening the appearance of the building.

It is the bottom two floors where passers-by will notice the biggest difference, however.

The ugly concrete ramp and walkway running behind the bus stops on Stonebow will be stripped away altogether, opening up the pavement so that it is almost double the width it is now. Set back from the pavement, a row of glass-fronted shops and restaurants will then sweep around the curve of Stonebow.

The walkway and ramp that will be stripped away

The car parking above the two lower 'commercial' floors of the building will be landscaped, with green areas introduced and a hedge running around the edge, bringing a splash of green to the building as seen from below.

Oakgate say they have already had a lot of interest from retailers and restaurant operators - but are not saying yet whose these are.

If and when planning approval is received, the refurbishment should take about 12-15 months, Oakgate says.

HISTORY OF STONEBOW

Stonebow itself is a relatively new street - it was opened on October 14, 1955, as part of a slum clearance programme.

Stonebow Stonebow House, designed by Wells, Hickman and Partners of Charing Cross, London as a mixed retail and office development, was completed almost a decade later, in 1964.

The foundations of Stonebow House being laid in 1963

Designed for Renown Investments (Holdings) Ltd, the scheme had been the winning design in an open tender competition initiated by the then York City Council.

Despite some rumours to the contrary, the building is not listed, although as an rare example of 1960s brutalist architecture in TYork it is felt by some to have architectural merit.

Other critics, however, have described it as “hideous” and “sheer visual misery”.

The offices in the tower block have been empty for several years. although they were used for a while by charities, including the York Arts Barge project.

Oakgate bought the building for an undisclosed sum last summer.