Major Newcastle city centre development project announces ‘dramatic progress’

Progress was described as ‘dramatic’ in 2023 on the Pilgrim’s Quarter major city centre development project in Newcastle, as shown on the respective photos dated December 2022 and December 2023.

The developer is scheduled to hand over the shell of the building to HMRC for fit out works in Q4 2025.

Marc Gill, HMRC senior sponsor for the North East, commented: “We’ve seen significant progress over the last 12 months on the build of our Pilgrim’s Quarter development and we can already see that it will be a hugely impressive addition to Newcastle city centre and the HMRC estate.

“We are delighted to be providing some of the best facilities HMRC has to offer, co-locating thousands of high-quality government careers here in the heart of Newcastle, as well as boosting the local economy.”

HMRC announced in November 2021 that Newcastle’s Pilgrim’s Quarter, part of the Pilgrim Street development, would become a Government Hub for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the North East. Part of the Government Hub network, HMRC’s ‘state-of-the-art’ regional centre will be based at the new development.

The regional centre will provide office accommodation for approximately 9,000 HMRC staff. The Newcastle building will be the largest of HMRC’s 14 regional centres, at 463,000 square feet (43,000sq m) net internal area.

Chris Turnbull, principal at Avison Young, said: “We are delighted with progress on the scheme and pleased to see work in hand behind the extensive listed façade. It is also encouraging to see the next phases of steelwork erection progressing.

“Inspection of the interior of the early phases of the building works now confirms both the volume of space and the true scale of the project is now really apparent.”

Paul Anderson, Contracts Manager at the main contractor, Bowmer and Kirkland, added: “2023 saw an unbelievable transformation of the Pilgrim’s Quarter site. At the turn of the year, we were still constructing around the Grade II Listed Carliol House, with only one of the stair cores just peeping above the site hoarding.”

“Fast forward 12 months and all demolition works are now complete and the highest point of the main structure now towers above the city skyline. The two main cores are at full height and great progress is being made in the ground behind Carliol House to pave the way for connecting the old structure to the new.”

Commercial, town planning and project management services on the project are being provided by Avison Young with architectural design by Ryder Architecture and engineering input by Cundall. The contractor is Bowmer and Kirkland.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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