Site serving up hotel and steak house
A key development on the banks of the River Wear will generate 75 new jobs when it becomes home to a hotel and steak house.
The £150million regeneration of the Millburngate site in Durham will welcome a Premier Inn and a “new concept steak restaurant” called Bar + Block.
It comes after the site’s developers signed two agreements with the hospitality firm Whitbread.
The hotel, which is subject to planning approval, would have 92 bedrooms, with the restaurant to be the first of the chain’s in the North of England.
It offers “informal allday dining” serving breakfast, lunch and dinner “with an emphasis on high-quality steaks at affordable prices, all hand-cut to order”.
Combined, they could bring 75 new jobs to the city, with the development under way where the HM Passport and National Savings and Investment (NS&I) once stood.
Premier Inn already operates a hotel at Freemans Place on the opposite side of the water, which is connected to the Walkergate complex.
Milburngate will also feature a mix of luxury apartments and offices.
It will create more than 1,000 jobs in total, with the project led by Arlington Real Estate and the Richardson family.
The firms bought out Carillion’s part in the scheme in December as the now-defunct construction firm battled its debt, allowing the development to stay on track.
Allan Cook, managing director of Arlington Real Estate, said: “These agreements not only demonstrate the confidence Whitbread has in Durham City, but also how Milburngate can help position and strengthen two of its important brands.”
Ben Holmes, director at Richardsons, said: ““We’re proud to be working with Whitbread and look forward to welcoming the hotel and steak house to the development.”
Matt Aubrey, Premier Inn acquisitions manager for the North East, said: “Milburngate is a major part of the future of Durham city centre and we are excited to be a part of it.”