Vacant buildings with the best potential

rapscallion said:
Demolishing Blandford?,surely one of the more busy boulevard, near full capacity stretch down there seems novel in its conception. Not that it's super high quality like.

Get your Müller needs; Roleys in the pawn shop if you're flush, and holiday to Bognor Regis secured and assorted chicken tidbits in Heron.
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All town and cities need an area like it. It could look better but serves a purpose in all honesty.
 


Osklen said:
The issue with a lot of the space surrounding the bridges is the servicing access required to the various rear yards of the bridges properties. The likes of Iceland, Tesco and the larger stores will require artic lorry access including turning circles. To remove a lot of this will require getting rid of those uses (not a bad thing).

I think there’s be uproar getting completely rid of the bridges so In my opinion the way to deal with the bridges is to buy the cheaper surrounding properties and make them much more attractive - so HSW, blanford St, market Sq/union st. This could then provide the growth that people have mentioned ie retail / leisure at gf and offices/apartments above. Saying all that now is the time to buy it as retail property value must be at its lowest right now.
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Yeah that's a fair point, I must admit that was just total fantasy tbf rather than full blown plans. Mind I don't think they have turning circles do they seems to be more a jam the lorry in and get out especially the Tesco site.

Mind I still do think they need to find a way to try and get a bridges entrance back onto High Street West as since they built Primark there it left the street very disconnected seems like it wouldn't be too hard to build a corridor to the East of Primark and curve it round, doesn't seem to affect any service yards neither.

It'd be nice if they could knock a building down on Blandford Street and allow a way through to the doors where the toilets are aswell in the Bridges to just bring the city a little more connected.

Definitely agree though that now is time to buy the buildings you mention though as none of them offer nothing to the city and are mostly eyesores tbh. Still think moving Sunniside closer to the centre would help aswell as that's a blight down there and most abandoned and too far out but it's not easy (Crowtree site maybe?)
 
Zimba said:
If you had money, demolish the god awful Bridges and start again as it's a blight on the city rather than an asset as it splits everything up and while you do the rebuild move Sunniside Leisure so it's smack in the centre and convert that into more housing as it's out the way and offers nothing.

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Imo that's the sort of layout they should be going for rather than the mess there is atm, if they had the money. Keep it all small and compact but not cut off like High Street is atm. Dashed is open spaces, red is the walking routes. The rest of the city including Fawcett Street etc converted to housing.

It then brings in the potential of High Street and over by the Travelodge which are both horribly cut off because of the Bridges.
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I like Sunniside where it is, keeps the riff raff away, 808 amongst others down that end is class.

It hasn’t gone great down there because it’s not cheap as owt though, Sunderland just doesn’t have the clientele for it it seems which would be the case wherever it’s located sadly.
 
rapscallion said:
I'd plough everything possible and reinvent it as an acting/talent spotting Arena of international repute + fillum academy.

Like Cannes.
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Been saying summet vaguely along those lines for years. There’s the hotel rooms for this stuff now and once this new place by the fire station opens up.

“Why isn’t there a Sunderland ____________* Festival?” *Insert the cultural pursuit of your choice:

Film: Horror Fillum? Crime Fillum? Comedy Fillum? Music Fillum? Sports Fillum? etc etc
Music: Jazz? Soul? Punk? Ska? Reggae? C&W? Americana? etc etc
Theatre? Youth Theatre? New plays? Etc etc.

Who dares wins.
Zimba said:
Yeah that's a fair point, I must admit that was just total fantasy tbf rather than full blown plans. Mind I don't think they have turning circles do they seems to be more a jam the lorry in and get out especially the Tesco site.

Mind I still do think they need to find a way to try and get a bridges entrance back onto High Street West as since they built Primark there it left the street very disconnected seems like it wouldn't be too hard to build a corridor to the East of Primark and curve it round, doesn't seem to affect any service yards neither.

It'd be nice if they could knock a building down on Blandford Street and allow a way through to the doors where the toilets are aswell in the Bridges to just bring the city a little more connected.

Definitely agree though that now is time to buy the buildings you mention though as none of them offer nothing to the city and are mostly eyesores tbh. Still think moving Sunniside closer to the centre would help aswell as that's a blight down there and most abandoned and too far out but it's not easy (Crowtree site maybe?)
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Spot on. Not enough entrance/exit points.
 
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Zimba said:
Yeah that's a fair point, I must admit that was just total fantasy tbf rather than full blown plans. Mind I don't think they have turning circles do they seems to be more a jam the lorry in and get out especially the Tesco site.

Mind I still do think they need to find a way to try and get a bridges entrance back onto High Street West as since they built Primark there it left the street very disconnected seems like it wouldn't be too hard to build a corridor to the East of Primark and curve it round, doesn't seem to affect any service yards neither.

It'd be nice if they could knock a building down on Blandford Street and allow a way through to the doors where the toilets are aswell in the Bridges to just bring the city a little more connected.

Definitely agree though that now is time to buy the buildings you mention though as none of them offer nothing to the city and are mostly eyesores tbh. Still think moving Sunniside closer to the centre would help aswell as that's a blight down there and most abandoned and too far out but it's not easy (Crowtree site maybe?)
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the problem I think is that you’d have to take away part of Tesco to create it or alternatively come through Jackie whites market. To do so theyd have to redirect the ramp from the roof top car park and the road (York st?) which bisects HSW and I’m not sure you could get access to Tesco as that is serviced from the east I suspect.

they can create the entrance on to blanford street as peacocks has never been rebuilt since it was on fire. It would be a pretty poor entrance ie past toilets and little shop front so they’d need to think how to make that approach better but agree it’s something that should be done.

agreed also that they should look to relocate the cinema to crowtree. Sure the cinema has been up for sale for sometime, and would be surprised if empire cinema reopens.
 
Osklen said:
the problem I think is that you’d have to take away part of Tesco to create it or alternatively come through Jackie whites market. To do so theyd have to redirect the ramp from the roof top car park and the road (York st?) which bisects HSW and I’m not sure you could get access to Tesco as that is serviced from the east I suspect.

they can create the entrance on to blanford street as peacocks has never been rebuilt since it was on fire. It would be a pretty poor entrance ie past toilets and little shop front so they’d need to think how to make that approach better but agree it’s something that should be done.

agreed also that they should look to relocate the cinema to crowtree. Sure the cinema has been up for sale for sometime, and would be surprised if empire cinema reopens.
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There seems to be a little corridor there at the side of Tesco, admit it won't be very wide - Google Maps, can see the doors on the inside there which I guess come out here Google Maps. Should be enough space to bend it round there without it affecting any service yards. Admit it won't be the most attractive corridor but it's an access nevertheless.

Yeah, the car park is there though so could get a few parking in there then going straight out the back door I suppose, better than nothing though and half of Eldon Squares entrances are just the same really and the red car park at the Metro Centre.

Not too sure about it being for the sale, know the bowling alley got flogged off by Tenpin almost straight away though and has been through about 4 owners since. Not a clue who owns it now, Discobowl, I think. Great idea but whoever thought building that there was optimistic.
 
Zimba said:
There seems to be a little corridor there at the side of Tesco, admit it won't be very wide - Google Maps, can see the doors on the inside there which I guess come out here Google Maps. Should be enough space to bend it round there without it affecting any service yards. Admit it won't be the most attractive corridor but it's an access nevertheless.

Yeah, the car park is there though so could get a few parking in there then going straight out the back door I suppose, better than nothing though and half of Eldon Squares entrances are just the same really and the red car park at the Metro Centre.

Not too sure about it being for the sale, know the bowling alley got flogged off by Tenpin almost straight away though and has been through about 4 owners since. Not a clue who owns it now, Discobowl, I think. Great idea but whoever thought building that there was optimistic.
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I think they’d be better off getting rid of the roof top parking and trying to form a new entrance through Jackie whites somehow. The problem is that as soon as you think of something there is somewhere else to address.

these were the details doing the rounds for the cinema complex.
 
riffraff said:
Been saying summet vaguely along those lines for years. There’s the hotel rooms for this stuff now and once this new place by the fire station opens up.

“Why isn’t there a Sunderland ____________* Festival?” *Insert the cultural pursuit of your choice:

Film: Horror Fillum? Crime Fillum? Comedy Fillum? Music Fillum? Sports Fillum? etc etc
Music: Jazz? Soul? Punk? Ska? Reggae? C&W? Americana? etc etc
Theatre? Youth Theatre? New plays? Etc etc.
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Oh definitely. The above.

A collegiate talent and media production school a must for the kids in amongst it.

I'll compose the theme for the future Palme D'or award (back to the OG point for a minute).

Cannes won't get a look in.
 
Osklen said:
I think they’d be better off getting rid of the roof top parking and trying to form a new entrance through Jackie whites somehow. The problem is that as soon as you think of something there is somewhere else to address.

these were the details doing the rounds for the cinema complex.
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Yeah agreed tbh, be expensive to do that thoughl especially with the backlash of touching Jackie Whites won't go down well. I'm sure they've tried to shut it down before aswell.

Interesting I must admit I don't have a clue about average rent prices but the rent paid by the casino seems crazily low at £8.88 a sq ft a year especially in a city centre.
 
Zimba said:
Yeah agreed tbh, be expensive to do that thoughl especially with the backlash of touching Jackie Whites won't go down well. I'm sure they've tried to shut it down before aswell.

Interesting I must admit I don't have a clue about average rent prices but the rent paid by the casino seems crazily low at £8.88 a sq ft a year especially in a city centre.
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Think rents are low generally in Sunderland and probably lower again since then. No doubt they’d have been given a good deal as a catalyst also very little frontage. Rents are low due to demand and footfall/turnover and why there has been little private sector investment.

you are right about Jackie whites but this have to improve at some point. As I say you can look at every corner of Sunderland and say you could do something with that block or buildings or bit of land.
 
Osklen said:
Think rents are low generally in Sunderland and probably lower again since then. No doubt they’d have been given a good deal as a catalyst also very little frontage. Rents are low due to demand and footfall/turnover and why there has been little private sector investment.

you are right about Jackie whites but this have to improve at some point. As I say you can look at every corner of Sunderland and say you could do something with that block or buildings or bit of land.
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Yeah definitely, agreed with Jackie like. Haven't been in there for years but it was 1/2 empty the last time I went in, your right there though so much you could do if you had an unlimited pot of money sadly that doesn't exist though.
 
Zimba said:
Yeah definitely, agreed with Jackie like. Haven't been in there for years but it was 1/2 empty the last time I went in, your right there though so much you could do if you had an unlimited pot of money sadly that doesn't exist though.
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warrington and Altrincham are exemplars that people seem to be selling the latest model on, both with concept market buildings.

Warrington Market | warrington.gov.uk

www.warrington.gov.uk www.warrington.gov.uk
 
Osklen said:
warrington and Altrincham are exemplars that people seem to be selling the latest model on, both with concept market buildings.

Warrington Market | warrington.gov.uk

www.warrington.gov.uk www.warrington.gov.uk
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Looks canny that tbf, nice and airy which some of the older markets especially Jackie's don't have tbh it's not a pleasant place in there.

The Darlington refurbishment seems to be taking that design aswell, http://www.darlingtonmarket.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Darlington-redevleopment-plans.pdf - except they're doing a little garden thing aswell which is unique little food places I believe.

Btw a little outdoor market could be a cheap option for the outside where the ramp is to break the gap through to High Street West if they we're going to do it with a new jackie whites or a heavy refurb. Might help the market aswell having some people cutting through.
 
Charlestonian said:
I like Sunniside where it is, keeps the riff raff away, 808 amongst others down that end is class.

It hasn’t gone great down there because it’s not cheap as owt though, Sunderland just doesn’t have the clientele for it it seems which would be the case wherever it’s located sadly.
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Oi
 

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