UK: Marriott is set to open a Residence Inn aparthotel and a Moxy hotel in the former offices of the Newcastle Chronicle and Journal in Groat Market.
A planning application for the £24 million development has been submitted by building owner, publisher Reach plc.
Thomson House – the Chronicle, Journal and Sunday Sun’s home for 53 years – is set to be demolished to make way for the two new hotels, which will cover a 130,000 square feet area stretching from Groat Market at the front to Pudding Chare at the rear.
The project will be the first Residence Inn in the north of England. The Moxy Hotel will be the brand’s fifth UK hotel and first in the north. It is expected to create more than 40 new jobs in the hotels and associated facilities, as well as 150 jobs during the 18-month construction phase.
Alex Slack, Bigg Market project manager at NE1 Ltd said: “The plans to re-develop Thomson House further demonstrate the growing confidence of investors in the Bigg Market area. This latest development will see investment in the area surpass £65 million and, with the creation of 150 jobs, it is a most welcome addition. The proposed development will dovetail nicely with all the redevelopment plans for the area and will occupy a prominent position within the newly rejuvenated Bigg Market area. The coming months will see development in the area move on apace with several other buildings in the pipeline, it really is an exciting time for the area as Newcastle regains its historic heart.”
