Vacant buildings with the best potential

Well this is going to be controversial but I think in retrospect the worst thing the council have done in the last 20 years was oppose the Tesco development. At the time everyone was worried about a big uninspired glass building and that's exactly what we ended up with anyway. The council were pushing out these pie in the sky planning ideas of skyscrapers, undercover outdoor event spaces and a bridges style expansion with hundreds of houses and a new bridge - non of it was ever realistic and was just a PR con to get the population on side. Part of the opposition was that it would kill off local business - well it's not exactly been thriving for the last 10 years has it. If we had allowed the development then people may have done their food shopping and then popped into town and supported other businesses. We also wouldn't have had 20 years of wasted space.
The stuff there so far looks way better than a Tesco ,yeah modern stuff is a bit samey but it means progress and a place where change is happening .Same as the bits attached to the old art centre .I think we pass without noticing stuff but visitors spot stuf
 


Old ice rink...........,as a music venue, events, conferences.......or ice rink again
Lets be clear about this, Tesco at the wheatsheaf was and still is the best decision the council made. if theyd had put it on the vaux site it would have been a disaster, look at that naff development at trimdon street and times it by 10 to envisage what tesco on the vaux site would have been like. The tesco location at the wheatsheaf is better too. Onwards and upwards for the vaux site
 
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It could work as part of a university.

As long as it's not University of Sunderland, they got rid of it, and it's in the wrong direction for how they are going, moving most things to St Peter's and the medical school and associated schools more towards Edinburgh building area.
 
As long as it's not University of Sunderland, they got rid of it, and it's in the wrong direction for how they are going, moving most things to St Peter's and the medical school and associated schools more towards Edinburgh building area.

I was being flippant but the way things have been going over the last year means it is less important to be physically near your work or study.
 
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.
Not knocking the idea, because it's a good one, but there's been a short film festival for the last few years, and I know from experience with some other stuff that the biggest challenge in Sunderland is building an audience. Those venturing into it have to think - and be funded and supported - to view it as something to grow over a few years to a sustainable level. Find the right niche though especially if it would attract people from out of the city, and it could do well.

Some interesting theatre stuff going to be happening with the new auditorium, which is at least one addition. Empire's a beautiful space and (pre Covid) a thriving business, but it's a theatre that never really puts any plays on (if you exclude panto).
 
Sunderland needs somewhere indoors a bit like the O2 carling academy in Newcastle. Somewhere bands can get a good audience in without it being like a tin drum inside soundwise (arena).
 
Sunderland needs somewhere indoors a bit like the O2 carling academy in Newcastle. Somewhere bands can get a good audience in without it being like a tin drum inside soundwise (arena).
The idea by @citybythehad of converting crowtree to music venue is a cracker. Could even divide it up to have small and large areas and add in recording space. Certainly would be on my list now once I get euro millions numbers
 
Isn't that what the new auditorium is for next to the empire?


Unfortunately it’s only 750 capacity, which is not really enough for the big names.
I think outdoors is going to be way forward for a while, we have two nights at Backhouse Park “Lamplight” and three nights at Herrington for “Kubix” and the “Rocking the Free World” maybe a revival of the Sunniside event and there’s plenty.
 

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