Retail issues in Sunderland city centre

[Wild Card]

Tech company aims to create 150 jobs in Newcastle

This from today, proves your point. Private sector jobs on back of a govt. Dept.

It's good in a way it's coming to the north east. However it always seems to be Newcastle. It's easier to creat a self sustaining centre when everything is geared in it's favour.

Sunderland is never going to be able to complete with that, it needs it's own usp.

 

[Shandy drinker]

Tech company aims to create 150 jobs in Newcastle

This from today, proves your point. Private sector jobs on back of a govt. Dept. Sunderland just forgotten.

Hope they are better than horizon

 

[spen666]

It's good in a way it's coming to the north east. However it always seems to be Newcastle. It's easier to creat a self sustaining centre when everything is geared in it's favour.

Sunderland is never going to be able to complete with that, it needs it's own usp.

Any suggestions as to what that USP could be to bring retail back to the centre? or do you envisage a different sort of USP bringing non retail users in - eg leisure activities?

 

[Shandy drinker]

Any suggestions as to what that USP could be to bring retail back to the centre? or do you envisage a different sort of USP bringing non retail users in - eg leisure activities?

Rebuild crowtree and they’ll come

 

[Osklen]

Any suggestions as to what that USP could be to bring retail back to the centre? or do you envisage a different sort of USP bringing non retail users in - eg leisure activities?

I think as a city we need to move away from reliance on the large nationals and look to more independents particularly on the food retail front - bring back butchers and fruit and veg shop etc…

Alongside that the city needs to focus on leisure use to attract footfall back to the city centre. If there is footfall there will be more retail. City just needs to carefully balance this as the cycle will just follow again.

 

[Wild Card]

Any suggestions as to what that USP could be to bring retail back to the centre? or do you envisage a different sort of USP bringing non retail users in - eg leisure activities?

I wish I did, I'm proud to be from Sunderland and would love to see it flourish.

I think maybe different to Newcastle as it's obvious that's where the money and jobs are going. I would have said, as others have suggested making it more residential but nice residential. Almost like a Gosforth mix of student accommodation, nice residential living and social spaces and a mix of nice local amenities and boutiques.

I'm not sure how easy that is in reality, when the echo buildings were built they were meant to be high end and soon diminished.

Gosforth probably only works because of it's proximity to Newcastle for jobs and Newcastle, Northumbria and possibly Durham universities. That is not an easy act to follow despite Sunderland university's continual improvement.