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Plans have been unveiled to build a £200 million arena, conference and exhibition centre in North East England.
Gateshead Council is proposing to develop the 12,500 seat arena along with conference and exhibition facilities to Gateshead Quays, relocating the existing Metro Radio Arena. The project will reside directly opposite the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and between the Sage Gateshead and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.
The development has been designed in partnership with Ask Real Estate, development manager PATRIZIA UK and SMG Europe.
The 10-acre site will include an entertainment arena, conference and exhibition centre, hotel, bars and restaurants. The facilities will be capable of holding major music and cultural events, as well as conferences and exhibitions. More than 1,140 jobs are anticipated to be supported by the scheme, attracting 296,000 visitors to the region and more than £29.5m generated for the regional economy in future years.
Work will continue on drawing up detailed designs for the scheme, ahead of pre planning and pre construction phases.
Council Leader, Martin Gannon said: "We've wanted to regenerate and revitalise this key site on Gateshead Quays for a long time and internationally recognisable facilities of this scale has always been our long term aspiration.
Not only will they bring new life to the area but they will bring new jobs and significantly boost the local and regional economy. An arena and conference and exhibition facility will also play an important role in complementing and strengthening demand for national and international conferences, exhibitions and events at Sage Gateshead and BALTIC, as well as acting as a catalyst for wider investment across Gateshead and further stimulating economic growth.
"We're now more confident than ever that we can finally push forward with our exciting plans for this £200 million development site. Working closely with our development partners, SMG Europe, local partners and the private sector, it really is time to give the North East another landmark destination and complete the picture of this truly unique, riverside site."
(LM)
