Sunderland City Council has approved plans to revamp two city centre multi-storey car parks.
A programme of essential maintenance and improvement works will be delivered at the St Mary’s and Sunniside multi-storey car parks which are located within the Riverside Sunderland and Sunniside regeneration areas and form an important part of the city’s parking infrastructure.
Representing a £2million investment, the project will include improvements to the building structures and facades, installation of photovoltaics to improve energy efficiency, lighting and CCTV upgrades, installation of public wi-fi, enhanced signage, and provision of new cycle storage facilities.
Cllr Kevin Johnston, portfolio holder for business, housing and regeneration at Sunderland City Council, said: “It’s great to see plans to carry out much-needed improvements and maintenance works on the St Mary’s and Sunniside multi-storey car parks.
“Both car parks provide vital support for city centre businesses, employers and visitors, and the proposed works will significantly improve the sustainability of the facilities and enhance the user experience.
“Now that the plans have been approved, the next step will be to appoint a contractor to carry out the works to ensure these two key city centre amenities are futureproofed for years to come.
“The works which will be delivered alongside ongoing improvements to St Mary’s Boulevard and the Sunniside Leisure complex and will be carefully coordinated to maintain access and support ongoing business requirements.”
Over £2billion is currently being invested in Sunderland city centre, with Riverside Sunderland, one of the UK’s most ambitious urban regeneration projects, the fulcrum of the city’s ongoing transformation.
Once complete, the development will create high quality new homes and workspace for thousands of people, as well as leisure and cultural facilities that attract thousands of visitors to the City Centre.
The improvements to the car parks are key to building on this momentum and securing further private sector investment into Sunderland’s regeneration programme.
Cllr Johnston added: “Sunderland is undergoing a transformation not seen in generations, with homes and workspace for thousands of people rising from the ground, as well as a plethora of new leisure and cultural developments.
“Over the next decade, this regeneration will see hundreds of thousands more people flock to the city, be it to live, work or play, and amenities like these will be key to ensuring we are able to capitalise on this momentum and really drive the city forward.”
For more information on Riverside Sunderland, visit: https://riversidesunderland.com/