A Gateshead skate park boss wants a proposed retail scheme for land near the Felling Bypass to be given a rethink and has revealed his own ideas for the site.
Darlington-based Fintry Estates and Hargreaves Property Ventures has submitted proposals for the 3.3 hectare site at Albany Road, north of the A184 Felling Bypass.
They have applied to Gateshead Council for planning permission to roll out an £8.8m scheme which could transform the land with shops and restaurants, creating 191 new jobs.
The developers plan to build a 2,009 sqm foodstore, two other "large format retail units", three smaller units, a family restaurant, a pub, a drive through coffee shop, a gym and 332 parking spaces.
Occupiers haven't been confirmed for the units yet, but developers claim they're getting interest from major national chains such as B&M bargains.
The Newcastle Gateshead Core Strategy and Urban Core Plan, adopted in 2015, has allocated the site for office, hotel, sport, leisure, education or retail uses.
Most of the site has been vacant for more than 15 years, but a portion of the land is currently occupied by the Dynamix indoor skate park, which has been there for almost a decade.
If the plans are approved the skate park will be pulled down to make way for the new shops.
The scheme's community consultation document said: "Should they be approved, the proposals would result in the redevelopment of the site as a whole, including the closure or relocation of the existing skate park."
It added that the lease could be "terminated at the developer's request, at the appropriate time."
Rico Jakk, director of Dynamix, wants to remain at the site, and has spoken to the Chronicle about his alternative idea to build a "box park" or container village onto the front of his building.
"If the council approve the current plans then we will be asked to vacate and the building will be flattened to make way for the shops," he said.
"People have told me they don't want to see another retail park, how many retail parks can you have in an area?"
"I have a great relationship with my current landlord and don't want to oppose anything he wants to do, but I do want to propose something different."
Mr Jakk's vision would see around 200 shipping containers used to form a wave around the warehouse building, and if it came to fruition would be the first of its kind.
He continued: "If this was going to go-ahead, I believe this would be the first of its kind in the world.
"What we're proposing is an iconic building which will put Dynamix on the map.
"I have spoken to the people behind box parks in London and York and I have the knowledge to be able to build one."
Dynamix has been on the site for nearly a decade, and offers a place to go for young people in the area.
Mr Jakk said: "I want to be able to offer an alternative school provision, because some kids don't want to go to school.
"They don't necessarily do badly at school but might feel disenfranchised. There is more to education than core subjects like English and Maths but I would still offer those but with a bigger focus on creativity.
"We want children to come to us and from a young age learn how to run a social business.
"I would use the box park to provide space for the school as well as a theatre and concert venue."
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He said: "I've put my whole life into Dynamix, we get 30,000 people through our doors every year.
"I'm really happy with what we have achieved but if this was to go it would be a massive loss for Gateshead and for society if places like this don't exist.
"Young people are now being condemned as being obese and spending too much time computer gaming, places like this help them become more responsible and more capable.
"We have one of the best skate parks in the UK right here in Gateshead, and this building has got many years left in it."
Mr Jakk said that if Dyanmix had to leave its current site he would bid to move onto the former Lindisfarne Primary School or vacant land on the Baltic Quarter.
The council's planning committee will make a decision over the retail park application by May 23.
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