Gateshead Quays arena work moves forward

Article posted by Coliseum, June 1^st, 2020

Image: HOK

A planning application has been formally submitted recently for a development project on Gateshead Quays, which will be anchored by a new 12,500-seat arena in the English town of Tyne and Wear in England.

Gateshead Council’s development partner ‘Ask:PATRIZIA’, has submitted a full planning application for the arena, conference and exhibition center on Gateshead Quays.

The 80,000ft2 development sits on the iconic Newcastle Gateshead Quayside, directly in front the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

A £260m arena complex on the Gateshead Quayside will come up. The huge waterfront development will also include a conference and exhibition center, hotels, and restaurants.

The Gateshead side of the river is designated and signposted as Gateshead Quays. It is the site of the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and The Sage Gateshead performing arts and conference centre.

The wide-ranging development will serve as a waterfront conference and events destination.

Apart from the arena, the project will feature 6,300 square metres of conference and exhibition space, two hotels, bars, restaurants, car parking and “extensive areas of public realm”.

New designs for the arena have been unlocked to concur with the submission of the planning application.

Sir Robert McAlpine was awarded the contract to build the complex back in November last year. The contract was awarded to McAlpine by Ask: Patrizia, the joint venture between Gateshead Council, Ask Real Estate and Investment Development Manager Patrizia.

Sir Robert McAlpine Limited is a private British company headquartered in Hertfordshire, UK. It carries out engineering and construction works.

“We have undertaken a program of public consultation with local stakeholders and neighbors which has informed our plans for Gateshead Quays and we are pleased that we are now able to take this through to the final stage of the planning process,” John Hughes, Managing Director of Ask Real Estate, remarked.

“Our appointed contractors Sir Robert McAlpine have been engaging with the technical teams and with the arena operator ASM Global and we have signed -off stage two designs for what will be a world-class events destination. We are hopeful that the scheme will achieve full planning consent later this year and look forward to delivering this superb facility for the North East as soon as possible,” Hughes added.

Facility management and venue services company ASM Global has already been appointed as the venue management provider for the development, while HOK has been appointed to design the arena and conference and exhibition center.

Majorly musical and cultural events as well as international conferences and exhibitions will be staged in the 12,500 seat arena. The complex is likely to open in 2023.

The whole development is expected to generate over 1,000 jobs and £29 million Gross Value Added (GVA) per annum to the regional economy.

The council will be submitting a planning application later this year for a multistory car park on Baltic Quarter to service the development.

‘Ask:PATRIZIA’ is a joint venture between Ask Real Estate Limited and PATRIZIA AG, the pan-European real estate investment partner for the development of Gateshead Quayside.

The scheme will also benefit from the ability to connect directly to Gateshead’s district energy network.

Award-winning global architect HOK is designing the overall masterplan for the site, conference and exhibition center and 12,500 capacity arena while AHR Architects are designing the futuristic hotel which forms part of the blueprint.

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