At long last...a sign of
MAJOR PROGRESS MADE ON SEASIDE LANDMARK AFTER YEARS
Reporter AFTER standing empty for more than 15 years, the Spanish City dome in Whitley Bay will finally open its doors as a leisure hub next month.
Renovations started at the Grade IIlisted building in September 2016 and contractors have since restored original features, added new extensions and other facilities so it can be used as a fine dining and leisure venue.
The landmark, which dates back to 1910, will now have restaurants, cafes, an ice-cream parlour and function space.
And it will be up and running from Monday, July 23, in time for the start of the school summer holidays.
But before that, people will get a chance to look around the newlyrestored site and enjoy a weekend of celebration events.
The dome will be open for viewing from 12.30pm until 5.30pm on Saturday, July 21, and between 9am and 4pm on Sunday, July 22.
The weekend will include performances from the Backworth Male Voice Choir and will feature other entertainment, fairground rides and live jazz music on the Plaza and Links. There will also be a big screen showing films about the Spanish City and groups of around 25 at a time will be allowed inside the building. Thousands of visitors are expected over the course of the two days so people are warned to expect lengthy waits to get into the dome. North Tyneside Mayor Norma Redfearn said: “I am absolutely delighted that we will be welcoming local residents and visitors from further afield to come and join the celebrations and have a look at the completed building before it is up and running. “The new Spanish City looks absolutely wonderful and everyone involved, including our partners, have done a fantastic job to produce something of the highest standard that we can all be proud of. “This is the start of an exciting new chapter in the rich history of this iconic building and is the culmination of years of hard work by the council and our partners. “We have all waited a long time for this moment but it is finally here and I am really looking forward to what promises to be an unforgettable weekend.” North Tyneside Council spent around £4m on the restoration scheme and secured grants of £3.47m from the National Lottery through the Heritage