A prime plot of land on Newcastle Quayside earmarked for a stunning office development has been put up for sale.
Landowner Rob Cameron last year unveiled designs for a 12-storey office by award-winning Copenhagen and New York architects BIG, which would transform the site of the former Stereo and Barley Mow bar on City Road, which has lain empty for a decade and been plagued by a number of fires.
The plans were unveiled a month before the first national lockdown, and had been due to be showcased at the world famous Mipim property festival in Cannes that Spring, which was then cancelled due to the pandemic.
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Now Mr Cameron has put the site up for sale - but property consultants say the office proposal, which could create as many as 1,000 jobs - remains in place.
The pandemic has, however, changed working habits, with many employers switching to hybrid working patterns incorporating staff working from home, despite the Government encouraging businesses to plan office returns once it safe, to help the economic recovery of towns and city centres.
As a result, property consultancy Knight Frank, which is marketing the land having been involved in the project since the start, says the land could now have other uses, including housing.
Patrick Matheson, partner at Knight Frank, said: “This is a fantastic, rare opportunity to buy a prime site which is the last remaining development plot left in the sought-after East Quayside area. Because of its position and the lie of the land on the site, it warrants a landmark building.
“The office development proposal designed by BIG gained positive feedback during pre-application discussions with Newcastle City Council and that option is still very much on the table. The site is also suitable for homes and leisure uses and we are expecting strong interest from the market.”
If progressed, the No 1 Quayside office development would bring 107,346 square feet of prime office space to the disused site – potentially creating 1,000 jobs.
The curved building has been designed to stand alongside the Sage Gateshead and Millennium Bridge as a key feature on the riverside, and would have a living, green roof, while each floor would also have its own private roof garden.
When first unveiled, Mr Cameron said the designs had “real architectural merit”.
