MSCP rises from the ground

The frame of a striking new car park that will support businesses and residents at Riverside Sunderland is being put in place this week. 

Farringdon Row's new multi-storey car park, which will support the businesses and residents that move into Riverside Sunderland as development gathers pace, has been rising from the ground since April, with a concrete framework beginning to take shape and steel support set to arrive on-site. 

Groundwork to prepare the area started in November, and now construction partner Sir Robert McAlpine and car park specialist Goldbeck will begin work on the main structure of the MSCP, which will deliver 650 parking spaces on the edge of the city centre.

Attractive plans were unveiled last year, with designs from world-renowned artist Tonkin Lui creating a distinctive façade that will ensure the MSCP provides an attractive arrival point to people coming into the city centre from the A1231.

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "A key part of our work at Riverside Sunderland is in creating the infrastructure that can support the city's ongoing regeneration, and we know that - while many people are moving to more sustainable modes of public transport - cities still need readily available parking for businesspeople, visitors and residents.

"Ensuring the carpark we build looks the part is important to us, particularly given the site's prominence, and that's why it features some distinctive artwork, to ensure it provides an attractive welcome to the city centre."

Tonkin Lui's artwork has been designed up into a workable solution and the final product is currently moving into manufacture. 

The £14m MSCP will stand on the edge of the city's Riverside Sunderland development and is expected to serve the increased number of people living and working in Sunderland, as well as more visitors who will attend leisure venues including the new Auditorium and the city's planned Culture House, a £25m library and community living room that will deliver a world-class visitor experience.

Once complete, it is estimated that the Riverside Sunderland development will create up to 10,000 jobs and significantly boost the city centre population with the construction of hundreds of homes, providing a huge boost to footfall in the city centre by increasing the number of people visiting, living and working in it.  Making it easy for people to access the city centre is paramount to the area's success, and the development of the MSCP will be a central pillar in the wider transport and infrastructure strategy to bring the area to life.

Provision of the car park capacity should reduce pressure on other city centre parking such as St Mary's MSCP, as well as ensuring additional provision is made for a surge in people heading into the city on a daily basis when more commercial office spaces open. 

With a commitment to sustainability on the Riverside Sunderland project, the car park will include an initial 15 per cent electric vehicles spaces.  It is expected the car park will operate outside of normal working hours, to support the evening economy in the city centre, and will operate through a combination of pre-paid permits and paid parking. 

It's position on the edge of the city centre, linked by the Strategic Transport Corridor to Sunderland communities, will also help reduce congestion in the heart of the city, and by consolidating parking in one large facility, the MSCP should help to achieve a pedestrian-priority for Riverside Sunderland.

For the latest developments from Riverside Sunderland, visit www.riversidesunderland.com