Riverside Sunderland: Development of 650-space multi-storey car park takes step forward
Building and civil engineering firm, Sir Robert McAlpine, has been appointed to construct the new multi-storey facility, which features a stunning ‘living wall’ and will be located on Farringdon Row.
The firm was one of a number that bid for the contract, and work is expected to start on the site within the coming weeks, taking around 16 months to complete.
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Hide AdMcAlpine will also deliver some external works including the creation of new footpaths connecting the car park to the wider Riverside Sunderland development and improvements to the existing Galleys Gill Footbridge, providing a much-improved environment for the public as Riverside Sunderland takes shape.
The multi-storey car park, which will stand in a prominent position on the edge of the Riverside Sunderland development, will cater for the increased number of people who will live, work and play in the city, as regeneration advances at pace. It will replace aging car parks, including the Civic Centre site, delivering light, bright parking provision that will integrate smart technology to make it easier for people using it.
It is the first of a number of developments expected to get started on Riverside Sunderland over the coming weeks, after planning consent was granted for new homes and office spaces that will soon begin to rise from the ground.
Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “We are an ambitious city and the scale of change we are driving in the city centre is validation of that. We’re working with the best to deliver a world-class place to live, work and play at Riverside Sunderland, and we’re delighted to be working with Sir Robert McAlpine to develop this new facility, that – though one of the more practical parts of it – is an important addition to the site, as we build capacity for this area to become the base for thousands of residents and workers.
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Hide Ad“We are positioning modern car parking at the edge of the city, so people drive to Sunderland not through Sunderland. This will allow us to reconnect areas that are cut off by busy roads, expanding the footprint of the city centre in the process.“We’re also transforming our rail station, to make that a more attractive way to travel into Sunderland, and introducing new transport modes to help people get around in a greener way.
"A Transport Hub will enable people to travel easily from place to place by bike and e-scooter. We’re aiming to deliver a connected, accessible city centre with sustainable transport plugged in.”
Once complete, it is estimated that the Riverside Sunderland development will create up to 10,000 jobs and significantly boost the city centre population with the construction of thousands of homes, providing a huge boost to footfall in the city centre by increasing the number of people visiting, living and working in the city centre.
Creators say making it easy for people to access the city centre is paramount to the area’s success, and the development of the multi-storey car park will be a central pillar in the wider transport and infrastructure strategy to bring the area to life.