The architect and presenter teased an opening date on his Instagram stories.

Work is forging ahead on a labour of love in George Clarke’s home city.

George Clarke in front of the building in High Street West before work began | Submitted

placeholder image — George Clarke in front of the building in High Street West before work began | Submitted

The Washington-born architect and TV presenter is busy transforming 176 High Street West, next door to Sonny’s and Pop Recs, in Sunniside, in what he describes as his “dream Georgian restoration project”.

Scaffolding has been up at the site since July, with local developers, BG Construction & Developments, busy on site to transform the building into a bookshop, events space, cafe and apartment.

Now, George has teased a completion date for George Clarke’s Home of Books, saying it would be coming to the city in April 2027 on his Instagram stories over the weekend.

Posting about the project in the summer, he said: “ I want to thank everyone who is working so hard on my dream Georgian Restoration project in my home city of Sunderland.

“Work has started and I couldn’t be more proud of the team we’ve put together to make it happen…particularly @bg_construction_developments who are leading the charge. It’s an ambitious build and you’ll see the results of everyone’s hard graft in 2027!”

The plans are to convert the ground floor of the Grade II-listed building into a cultural bookshop, café and flexible event space described as a ‘community living room.’

Meanwhile, the upper floors are set to be transformed into an apartment that would be used by the presenter and his family, as well as being marketed as boutique accommodation for short stays, when he isn’t in town.

The apartment will be themed around the industries which built Sunderland including shipbuilding, coal mining and stained-glass work, paying homage to George’s home city.

The project is inspired by George Clarke’s love for books and will bring together his passions for restoration architecture, as well as giving him the opportunity to return home and spend more time in Sunderland.

George’s new series, Amazing Spaces: First Home, is currently streaming on All4 and is broadcast on Channel 4 on Friday nights at 8pm for the next three weeks.

George was also spotted filming in Blacks Corner in Seaburn recently.

Sunniside is undergoing a wave of investment with other big projects including work nearing completion on the former Tyre Shop on the corner of Villiers Street.

Work is nearing completion on the former Tyre Shop | Sunderland Echo

Led by the Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust, this regeneration has been supported by funding from Historic England, who have committed £923,208 along with significant investment from the Quakers, who have taken on the lease of the building, which will now be called The Friends Meeting Place.

As well as being a meeting place for The Quakers, the upstairs of the building will also be a community hub, a mixed use space for a host of groups.

Downstairs, shopfronts are being sympathetically restored and talks are at an advanced stage with two established Sunderland businesses who will open in the ground floor units.

And next door to that, new commercial space and 75 new homes are taking shape as part of the ‘Nile + Villiers’ housing development.