North East food-on-the-go retailer Greggs has become the latest name to sign up to Sunderland’s £15m Eastgate Point development, with plans to open a new drive-to at the site.
The much-loved national brand will establish a new location just off Commercial Road in Sunderland, providing a convenient new food on the go offering for people working at Eastgate Point as well as residents, commuters and visitors passing through the busy arterial road.
The deal marks another significant milestone for Eastgate Point, which is being delivered by Sunderland-based Building Design Northern (BDN) in partnership with Hewitson Group.
Gillian Long, Retail Operations Director for Greggs, said: “We’re excited to be opening a new drive-to location in Sunderland Eastgate Point which will bring 12 new jobs to the local area, as well as providing customers with a modern, convenient new place to experience their Greggs favourites.”
Built on the former Littlewoods site, Eastgate Point will deliver 125,000 sq ft of new commercial accommodation across 19 industrial and commercial units in nine buildings, creating a modern employment destination capable of supporting more than 350 jobs.
Greggs joins a growing line-up of organisations committing to the development, including Gentoo and BDN itself, which recently announced plans to relocate its Sunderland-based team to a bespoke office space at Eastgate Point.
Richard Marsden, managing director of BDN, said: “Securing Greggs is fantastic news for Eastgate Point and another real vote of confidence in this development, which is rapidly transforming the skyline on the approach to Sunderland city centre.
“From the outset, our ambition was for Eastgate Point to become a thriving business destination, providing amenities that make it an attractive and convenient place to work. Having Greggs on board will add another dimension to the development, while also providing a really accessible food and coffee offer for the surrounding community and people travelling through the area.
“With Gentoo already committed, BDN relocating its own headquarters here and further occupier announcements to come, there is a real sense of momentum building around Eastgate Point and we’re looking forward to sharing more soon as we agree pre-completion lettings with a range of businesses.”
Eastgate Point has been designed to provide high-quality, energy-efficient commercial accommodation with excellent transport connections. Its location – close to Sunderland city centre and major routes serving the wider region – has helped generate strong interest from businesses seeking modern premises in an accessible location.
Andrew Finnigan, operations director at Hewitson Group, said: “Greggs is a fantastic addition to Eastgate Point and exactly the kind of occupier that will help us create a vibrant, well-served commercial destination. Work is advancing rapidly, and seeing what was once a barren brownfield site transformed into a contemporary scheme with well-known brands locating here is brilliant.”
Constructed by Hewitson Construction, with BDN providing architecture, structural engineering, civil engineering and project management services, Eastgate Point represents the latest Sunderland scheme BDN has delivered. Alongside its commercial work, the company has become closely associated with the city’s ongoing transformation, delivering landmark projects including the award-winning Sheepfolds Stables development and the transformation of the Old Simpson Street School.
To find out more about Eastgate Point, visit www.eastgatepoint.co.uk and for more on BDN, go to www.bdnltd.com
