When Sunderland's Binns was considered for a hotel, swimming pool and shopping mall

A plan to convert Binns into a hotel in Sunderland was announced in the 1990s.

The empty store would have become a hotel, leisure and shopping complex if the proposals had gone ahead.

A top-floor gym and swimming pool

The proposed 150-bedroom hotel on the Fawcett Street site would have created around 200 jobs and taken two years to build.

A ground-floor shopping mall with specialist local food shops such as a delicatessen, cheese and coffee shops were proposed.

The top-floor was going to be styled on London’s prestigious Hilton Hotel accommodating a restaurant with views over the town centre.

High-speed ferries for Wearside were scuppered

And conference facilities would be provided for up to 800 delegates.

The hotel would also have been fitted out with a gym and swimming pool and other leisure facilities depending on the needs of the hotel chain which runs it.

The main entrance would overlook Sunderland library.

An Echo story at the time said: "The existing structure will remain the same but it will be reclad and will have architectural features to match the library opposite."

It was not the only ambitious proposal for Sunderland which was revealed that year.

Plans to build high-speed ferries on the River Wear have been scuppered.

It's your 1990 memories we want

A Hampshire-based firm wanted to create 400 jobs at Southwick yard.

The main assembly shed would have been used to build the aluminium vessels, which were regarded as the ferries of the future.

The scheme had the backing of Tyne and Wear Development Corporation but was dashed by the EC, which insists that the plan is shipbuilding.

Under the EC’s sixth directive, the Wear yards, closed in 1988, have to stay shut for shipbuilding for at least five years.

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John Davies, managing director of the ferry company Aluminium Shipbuilders, said: “I am very disappointed the plan has been turned down.”

Tell us about your memories of life in Sunderland in 1990 by emailing [email protected]