Lendlease is set to build a £150m events hub in the North East.
The firm was appointed by developer Ask:Patrizia to deliver the Sage International Conference Centre within the Gateshead Quays scheme.
Councillors last month approved revised plans for the broader redevelopment of this part of the south bank of the River Tyne.
Now, Lendlease has been named as the main contractor for the conference centre, which will include 5,720 square metres of exhibition space, 2,520 square metres of adaptable meeting space, 17 conference rooms and a banqueting suite.
The conference centre is scheduled to open in 2025.
Set to be operated by ASM Global, the business-events hub will be delivered in the first phase of Gateshead Quays, along with a hotel and an urban park.
Lendlease’s executive general manager of UK regions, David Cadiot, said the firm would “bring the know-how to create an exceptional venue”. The company previously delivered the OVO Hydro indoor arena in Glasgow in 2013, and it was part of the joint venture responsible for the International Convention Centre in Sydney, which opened in 2016.
John Hughes, managing director of Ask Real Estate, said: “Lendlease has significant experience in delivering large-scale, complex schemes and we’re determined to realise the partnership’s vision for the Sage International Conference Centre.”
Manchester-based construction firm Russell WBHO is also delivering a 344-bed hotel to accommodate visitors to both the events hub and the planned 12,500-capacity Sage Arena.
Gateshead Council said in July that the arena scheme had been broken into smaller packages due to “a number of global factors”, including Covid, inflation and the war in Ukraine.
The hotel is now scheduled to open in 2025, followed by the Sage Arena in 2027.
