Sunderland Civic Centre homes: A look at West Park Quarter, the new housing development transforming former council HQ
A housing development set to help boost the city centre is really taking shape.
The site of the former Civic Centre, which was demolished earlier this year, will now be a new community for the city called West Park Quarter, with 265 new homes.
A mix of three and four-bedroom homes, the quarter is part of wider plans to have more people living and working in the city centre - with another 1000 homes being built as part of the Riverside development on either side of the river.
The first of the West Park Quarter homes are already for sale, under the Linden Homes brand, with prices starting from £259, 995 - £299,995.
Residents are expected to start moving in later this year and at the start of 2025.
Plans for the redevelopment of the former Sunderland Civic Centre building were revealed in March 2021, as part of the council's move to new City Hall premises on the former Vaux site.
Permission was granted to Vistry North East, part of the Vistry Group, to replace the 1960s building - well known for its Brutalist architecture - with a new city centre community in April 2022.
Demolition started that October and was completed in February this year, with construction of the new West Park Quarter moving forward at pace.
Sean Egan, Managing Director with Vistry North East, said: “This is a flagship project for our business and we are delighted to now be in a position to release the first properties for sale.
“A complex scheme, working in close partnership with Sunderland City Council, we've been able to support the move to Riverside Sunderland’s City Hall and unlock the potential of the old civic site in a way that will re-energise this part of the city centre.
“West Park Quarter is delivering homes for sale, private rent and affordable rent and our mixed tenure approach has enabled us to deliver the new homes at pace.
“The properties will be set around public, open green spaces and will offer excellent links to both the high street and to local transport infrastructure. By improving the choice and standard of new homes in the centre of Sunderland, we aim to create a vibrant community for people to live in and enjoy."
Part of the project will see works to recreate Saint George’s Square - bomb damaged during the Second World War and lost to redevelopment in the 60s - with the Grade II listed Saint George’s House as the focal point.
The architecture and streetscapes being constructed have been planned to be sensitive to existing structures, the park side location and the Ashbrooke Conservation Area.
The development is also incorporating plenty of cycling and pedestrian links, improving public access to and from the city centre.