Mark Burns Cassell on the transformation of the old Norfolk Hotel, birthplace of SAFC

Transcript

00:00Mark we're down here at the old Norfolk Street Hotel which is a very well-known spot in Sunderland

00:05and the first tenants are about to move in as part of its regeneration can you talk us through the

00:10project yeah absolutely so first of all I'd say it's been a pretty steep learning curve from

00:15pretty much day one but it's just so brilliant to be here with you today announcing the fact that

00:21we're almost finished phase one of the redevelopment of the Norfolk Hotel the townhouse

00:26which we can see just on the end there where the new shutters have gone up it's been a real

00:30challenge we've come up against a lot of obstacles that we hadn't foreseen and we've learned an awful

00:36lot throughout the process but it's just been a real privilege actually to have been able to

00:43be the custodians of this building and to bring it into a sustainable future use the building has such

00:49a huge and iconic heritage significance for the city birthplace of Sunderland football club

00:56it's obviously had an incredibly chequered past there's a lot of people with a lot of very

01:00recent memories of the Norfolk Hotel and it's it's just brilliant to be here repurposing it for a

01:06fantastic future use and being able to welcome new businesses into this brilliant iconic building

01:11and what will be its future use so it's going to be commercial workspace um we like to say that we're

01:17here for people who don't fit in on a business park so everyone quirky independent businesses artists

01:24makers across our portfolio we've got reiki practitioners we've got photographers we've

01:30got tarot readers we've got independent businesses and consultants and we're really open to see who

01:35gets in touch the first commercial tenants to take occupation we've got a potter who's coming in

01:40we've got a couple of beauticians as well going into the townhouse and they're actually taking

01:45occupation in may so within the next few weeks we've obviously had a great walk around just now and

01:50you've seen in there um it looks like there's still quite a lot to do but it's just finishing

01:54off really we've got paint works we've got um the last of the electrics going in and fire doors going

02:01on and then we're hopeful for sign off from building control so that we've got a nice first phase of the

02:06building which is fit for occupation ready for people to work their magic in the city and there's

02:11so much happening in Sunnyside at the minute you'll be joined with new neighbours in the coming years

02:16absolutely yeah we couldn't be more happy to learn that the new glass venue is coming into

02:20Sunnyside glassworks and we've had the ceo of summer culture down nick having a look we've had great

02:25support from so many people and there's been a lot of interest from people actually to to get involved

02:31with with what's happening either by taking space at the norfolk or just asking how it's been going

02:35which has been brilliant so i i think as far as the development in Sunnyside goes it's just such a

02:41privilege to be here right now you know you can hear around us right now even during this interview

02:45the building works in other properties you can hear diggers in the ground at the back of norfolk

02:50street with the new housing that's being built and there's just such a sense of of change in the

02:56air in Sunnyside it's everything that this area needs and we've been stakeholders in Sunnyside for

03:02almost a decade now and again it's just been such a privilege to to see that change and to witness it

03:07and to be a part of it as well increasing footfall into the area so many forces in the city coming

03:13together for good the city council Sunderland bid Sunderland culture as well now getting on board

03:18we've got so many independent artists theatre space northeaster here and it's it's just absolutely

03:23brilliant news for everyone for the bars for the restaurants for for people who live in Sunnyside

03:28and the people who will soon live in Sunnyside once these buildings are finished at the back of

03:32north street so just absolutely incredible