Oliver Bonas to move into former Boots in Kings Square, York

Grade II listed 1 Kings Square is set to open its doors to a new business for the first time since Boots left the site in August 2023.

Lifestyle and clothing retailer Oliver Bonas has revealed its plan to move into the shop after filing documents on the City of York Council’s planning portal on its planned changes to the building.

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While the date of the move is yet to be confirmed, it is set to take place ‘later in the year’ with Oliver Bonas moving over from its current store in Stonegate.

In its application, the brand revealed its plans to take over the lower ground floor, ground floor and first floor of the shop where it will reposition stud walls to create a new layout for the building, install a new door, and change the lighting.

The outside of the shop will be painted in the Oliver Bonas signature pastel green colour and the brand intends to retain an existing stained-glass window that is currently in the building.

The current interior of the shop (Image: Alice Kavanagh) The top floors of the Kings Square shop will also be undergoing a transformation as they are turned into ‘new city centre residential accommodation’ by owners The Helmsley Group – the group which is also behind the Coney Street regeneration project.

Max Reeves, director at Helmsley Group, said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Oliver Bonas to a new larger store on King’s Square and look eagerly towards developing the upper floors of the building to create new city centre living space.

“There are disused upper floors like those at 1 King’s Square across the city and it is our ambition to use York’s historic buildings to their full potential by bringing these floors back into use as much needed city centre homes.”