PREPARATORY work is set to pave the way for two game-changing commercial buildings backed by Legal and General in Sunderland.
Early site work is underway to prepare the ground for the first of a pair of large office buildings on Riverside Sunderland. The buildings, which are part of Legal and General’s £100 million commitment to Sunderland, are being led by developer Landid, with the first expected to open its doors in 2023.
Legal and General chief executive Nigel Wilson visited the site to see progress at Riverside Sunderland and to look around the newly-opened City Hall, a new civic hub that will become home to Sunderland City Council and a range of resident support services, allowing people to access help in one place. The building was developed with sustainability in mind; it features a heating system that will bring about a 57% reduction in CO2 emissions, as has been delivered to the principles of a Gold standard WELL rating, as well as a Very Good BREEAM rating.
Mr Wilson, who is originally from the North East, was able to see the planned location of the two offices – funded by the institutional investor – both of which will stand close to The Beam and City Hall, flanked by public realm and leisure facilities that will be delivered as part of Riverside Sunderland’s wider transformation.
Nigel Wilson said: “Last time I visited Sunderland, prior to the pandemic, I was standing on an almost empty site at Riverside Sunderland, with only one building – The Beam – in situ.
“To return and see the magnificent City Hall close to completion, work gathering pace on a new hotel directly opposite at Keel Square, scores of positive announcements for further development projects that will regenerate the city centre and a hugely ambitious local authority in Sunderland City Council, has absolutely vindicated our confidence and belief in this place. I’m thrilled to see the progress the city is making, and with more doors opening for the city, it’s exactly the affect we hoped our backing would have.
“Riverside Sunderland is an exemplar of our regional cities investment programme and our leading role in supporting levelling up. Our pace of investment gathered real speed in 2021, reaching £30bn across the country, and spurred on by the success of projects such as Riverside Sunderland, we have major appetite to double our investment programme over the coming years.”
Mr Wilson enjoyed a hardhat tour of City Hall as work concluded on the building, guided by council chief executive Patrick Melia, and construction partner Bowmer + Kirkland’s site manager during his visit. He also heard more from council bosses about exciting plans for the city’s digital infrastructure, with the 20-year deal struck with BAI Communications to deliver digital connectivity that will transform the lives of residents and boost businesses, as well as other developments. This includes Hillthorn Business Park – itself being backed with £60m investment from Legal and General – as well as the council’s partnership with Nissan and Envision AESC, supported by Government, to create Nissan 36Zero, a new EV hub at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP).
Patrick Melia, chief executive of Sunderland City Council, said: “There can be no mistaking the intent of this council. We are delivering on our promises to transform the city centre and indeed the wider city of Sunderland. We worked hard to make the case to Legal & General to invest in Sunderland – to show them the opportunity here and demonstrate the scale of our ambition which aligns to their own corporate priorities.
“The result has been a fruitful partnership that will deliver jobs and opportunities for residents and a thriving economy as a result. We are looking forward to seeing the next stage of their investment realised, as the two Legal and General buildings begin to take shape on Riverside Sunderland.”
Plans for the two buildings were shared in 2021, and the final design phases are underway, with work set to begin in earnest in the new year. Like City Hall, the buildings will have a heavy focus on sustainability, powered entirely by electric, meaning there will be no gas on site and no carbon created on site, as well as achieving EPC A rating and the same WELL and BREEAM standards as the neighbouring civic hub.
James Silver, managing director of Landid, said: “You only need to look at the scale of change underway in the city centre to see how ambitious Sunderland is, and we are really pleased to be playing a part in developing office space that will attract exciting businesses into the heart of Sunderland, creating jobs and prosperity and boosting footfall in the city centre.
“It’s exciting to see preparatory work getting started and hoardings being erected in anticipation of significant work on site soon. As these buildings take shape, they will once again change Sunderland’s skyline and we’re looking forward to seeing progress on office spaces that we know will augment Riverside Sunderland and establish it as a new central business district from which many thousands of people will work.”
The new buildings are part of a masterplan for Riverside Sunderland that includes residential, commercial and leisure developments that, taken together, aim to double the residential population in the city centre and increase employment by 50 per cent.
