Sunderland sees construction begin on City Hall building part of £1.5bn development

Construction work has begun on a new City Hall for Sunderland city centre.

The new building will house Sunderland City Council alongside a range of public sector partners including housing provider Gentoo and the Department for Work and Pensions.

It will also spearhead the £500m regeneration of the city centre by accelerating the transformation of the city’s former Vaux brewery site.

The City Hall development is a key element of the city centre regeneration which will see a transformed city centre which could create jobs and opportunities for local people.

It is also part of the city helping deliver on its undoubted potential as part of a wider £1.5bn programme of investment across Sunderland.

The project is due for completion in Autumn 2021.

Designed by architects Faulkner Brown, the building will span 190,000 sq ft - the size of two and half football pitches - and is more than twice the size of THE BEAM, the first building to be constructed on the former Vaux site.

Council leader Cllr Graeme Miller said: “City Hall is a real game changer for the regeneration of Sunderland city centre and I’m delighted to see it going ahead.

“Its development is an essential element of our £500m transformation plans to create a dynamic, healthy and vibrant city centre and deliver the step change that we know our residents want to see.

“It’s also a further indication of the real sense of momentum building in Sunderland, with so many new developments either planned or underway and a renewed sense of confidence in the city.”

City Hall is the second building to be built on the former Vaux brewery site following completion of THE BEAM in June 2018 which will soon be home to Ocado, which is bringing 300 jobs to the city, alongside health and safety training provider Penshaw View.