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Plans to create a £170m project aiming to take Newcastle to new heights have been unveiled at the world’s biggest property conference.
Images show a huge 29-storey residential tower, alongside a new hotel at the site of the former Premier Inn hotel in Newcastle, as well as new bars and restaurants, creating a new gateway into Newcastle City Centre.
Gainford Group – owner of North East prime properties including the Vermont and County Hotels, Aveika and Livello – first snapped up the former Premier Inn building on New Bridge Street six years ago, and launched straight into plans to transform the tired-looking site.
The leisure, care and property group - which bought Milburn House last year - was forced to pause the plans in light of the pandemic, but began redrawing their proposals in 2022, teasing images to envisage a single, huge 37-storey tower, combining a hotel, housing, a conference centre and a gym, as well as leisure venues.
Those plans have now been revised by Chester-le-Street based Gainford Group, who enlisted FaulknerBrowns Architects to draw up stunning imagery to show how the New Bridge Project could dominate the Newcastle skyline, with the reduced residential tower now sitting alongside a separate hotel building.
The New Bridge Project has now been shown on the world stage at Mipim, the real estate conference taking place in Cannes, France, which brings together developers, investors and property professionals from all over the world.
A presentation and discussion has been held to promote the new development, including panel members Ben Sykes, partner at Killingworth based FaulknerBrowns; Michelle Percy, director of investment and growth at Newcastle City Council; Tariq Albassam, director of operations at NE1; and Sarah Green, chief executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative.
They said the New Bridge Project aims to completely transform an important piece of Newcastle city centre, alongside work which is currently regenerating the East Pilgrim Street area where the new HMRC building is being constructed close to the new Hotel Gotham and Newcastle Stack at Worswick Chambers. Better pedestrian links and a new gateway to the historic Market Street are included in the plans, which will link to the new HMRC development, Blackett Street and Northumberland Street improvements. The design proposes a new skyscraping residential building providing 185 new homes and a new 150-bedroom hotel is also included, alongside new bars and restaurants and a health club.
While Gainford Group currently operates a number of hotels around Newcastle city centre, it has yet to be decided if it would run this latest hotel or seek to bring in a leisure brand to manage and operate the property. Director Imran Khaliq said that as well as now featuring two buildings, the firm’s proposals had been altered to lift the residential housing and hotel off the ground, creating a new-look leisure area.
He said: “Gainford is looking forward to this exciting new project which introduces a brand new gateway into Newcastle city centre. Gainford is championing Newcastle on the world stage at Mipim and is committed to Newcastle’s global ambitions – and sponsorship of InvestNewcastle at Mipim 2025 reflects that dedication.
“We believe in the power of public and private partnership to shape vibrant, sustainable local communities through our major regeneration projects and hospitality ventures. We are proud to create a leading part in the driving force of Newcastle’s growth. Together we are building a city that is not only a destination but a hub for investment, innovation and opportunity.” Public and private sector bodies are collaborating to promote Newcastle's investment prospects at Mipim. Invest Newcastle, a service delivered by NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI), has spearheading the delegation to the event in the south of France, teaming up with organisations including Newcastle and Gateshead councils, NCG, Avison Young, Ryder Architecture, Eldon Square, and Gainford Group to spotlight key developments in the city
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