Carillion.com
Carillion is progressing well on its conversion of Sunderland’s former Vaux brewery site to a five-storey office block, with steelwork to the initial bays now complete.
Construction of the 60,000 sq ft office building is part of the contractor’s Siglion joint venture with Sunderland City Council and Igloo Regeneration, which is carrying out a 20-year programme to transform much of the city.
Eddie Tribe, Carillion’s operations director, said: “It’s great to start work on this iconic site. Our work will create jobs and opportunities for local businesses. We have agreed a target to achieve 60% of spend with local suppliers and aim to employ 16 apprentices throughout the construction programme, with further opportunities within our supply chain for employment for local people.”
The flagship development will provide high-quality office space in the heart of the city, and will also include ground floor space suitable for a bar, cafe and restaurant that will overlook the River Wear and Wearmouth Bridge. It will be completed in summer 2018, and is available to let in suites from 1,000 sq ft up to the entire building.
As well as the work on the first Vaux building, the green light has also been given to The Launch, a symbolic new structure that will celebrate Sunderland’s shipbuilding heritage. Standing 25 metres tall when complete, the giant metal structure will look over the Wear, to commemorate the city’s shipbuilding heritage.
The Launch and the site’s first building are due to be completed in June 2018, in time for the Tall Ship Race’s visit to Sunderland.
