91Èȱ¬

A Grade-II listed building in Sheffield will be transformed into a centre for music teaching and performance.

The Harmony Works Trust announced this week that it had completed the purchase of Canada House for £1.6m.

Built in 1874 in the style of an Italianate villa, the building in the Castlegate area of the city was previously the offices of the local gas board until 1972.

It will now be restored by the trust, which promotes music education for young people.

The charity's chairman, David Hobson, said the deal was a "huge milestone".

Plans for the site include converting rooms into a cafe, rehearsal spaces and recording studios.

Canada House was a nightclub in the 1980s and has also been occupied by a Chinese restaurant and the offices of a lingerie brand.

Mr Hobson added: “Our goal is to foster growth and transformation through the power of music.

"We are incredibly excited that Canada House is officially ours."

The trust, which was awarded charitable status in August, bought the property from retailer Panache.

Harmony Works’ project director Emily Pieters said: “While we’re one step nearer to achieving our long-term goals of creating a more accessible and inclusive musical pathway for young people and their communities across the Sheffield region, our work here is just beginning."

The trust needs support from the private sector to meet the £7m renovation costs.

The charity is applying for Arts Council England funding for the next phase of the project.

Sheffield City Council also secured Levelling Up grants as part of the regeneration of the area.

The trust added that it hoped to bring "vital footfall" to Castlegate and had ambitions of attracting "top tier" musicians to perform at the centre.

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