Multi-million pound car park opens in Sunderland

A new city car park has officially opened its doors, providing additional spaces to support the development of Riverside Sunderland.

A distinctive new multi storey car park (MSCP) at Farringdon Row, that is illuminated by night and features two living walls and a metal cladding design, is now fully operational, having opened on a temporary basis to support Beyonce and Pink concerts in the city.

The MSCP, which provides more than 600 spaces, was designed by award-winning architectural practice Tonkin Liu, and will be illuminated by night, to feature a blue wave, with coloured displays occasionally being used to mark key moments and awareness days in the city calendar.

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “Sunderland has a strong association with light, so it’s fitting that the new spaces we are creating as we transform the city centre should feature it so spectacularly in their design.

“There’s a quality to the design of our new buildings that points to the ambition we have for this city. We want our residents to see exceptional buildings, because we want to create an exceptional city. And that applies to every new space we create.”

Groundwork to prepare the area started in November 2022, with construction partner Sir Robert McAlpine and car park specialist Goldbeck working on the main structure of the MSCP, which will deliver parking provision to support the city centre, in particular people who will live, work and play at Riverside Sunderland as the development moves forward.

Some 10,000 new jobs are expected to be created at Riverside Sunderland, with 1,000 new homes also set to be built and a range of new leisure developments including Culture House - a new interactive, immersive library - and Sheepfolds Stables, an exciting food and drink venue on the edge of Stadium Park.

A new Eye Hospital, replacing Sunderland Eye Infirmary, will also locate on the Riverside Sunderland site, meaning spaces in the cashless car park will be well-used by residents, commuters and visitors.

Cllr Miller added: “With so many developments taking shape, new places to eat, drink and have fun, and office spaces that will welcome many thousands of people, it is important that we have the facilities to support our transforming city centre to realise its vast potential.”

The extra car park capacity should reduce pressure on other city centre parking such as St Mary’s MSCP. The car park will operate outside of normal working hours, to support the evening economy in the city centre, and will operate through a combination of pre-paid permits and paid parking.

Its position on the edge of the city centre, linked by the Strategic Transport Corridor to Sunderland communities, will also help reduce congestion in the heart of the city and - by consolidating parking in one large facility - the MSCP should help to achieve a pedestrian-priority for Riverside Sunderland.

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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