What’s next for Wild West nightclub?
BUFFALO JOE’S IS UP FOR SALE WITH A VARIETY OF USES FOR SITE POSSIBLE
A Wild West-style nightclub which attracted thousands of revellers on Tyneside has been put on the market.
Buffalo Joe’s - close to the Swing Bridge, in Gateshead - closed nine years ago, but has been put up for sale with a variety of possible future uses.
The three-storey property, which cost £2m to build and fit-out at the turn of the century, has a 4am licence and could be revived as a bar and nightclub.
However, it could also be turned into offices or housing.
It is being marketed at a time of intense activity in the vicinity, with the neighbouring former Baja Beach Club being converted into offices, while the Brett Oils site further upstream is being demolished for a luxury housing development.
James Metcalf, director of Metcalf Harland Property Investment, which is marketing the building alongside Knight Frank, said he would expect it to be either office, residential or a mixed use scheme of office and residential, but that it may also attract hotel interest with the new conference centre being developed nearby.
He added that the 4am licence is rare, which has led to some leisure operators showing interest.
He said: “This is an iconic spot on Gateshead Quayside and one which many people will have very fond memories of, especially from the ‘90s when the Quayside was in its heyday.
“With what is currently going on in the area this is a great opportunity to further enhance Gateshead Quays and build on the great and ever-changing skyline we are seeing.
“There are a number of new developments and famous landmarks all within touching distance and Gateshead deserves a lot of credit for how it has brought its Quayside into the limelight and continues to drive it forward.”
The three-storey building has 11,000sqft of space but there is scope to build a much bigger riverside property.
Studio SP based in Newcastle has drawn up outline plans for an office scheme which would have 30,000sq ft of space, and a 56-bed residential scheme.
The sale comes at a pivotal time for the Gateshead Quayside area, where a raft of high-profile developments are currently unfolding.
As well as the Baja and Brett Oils developments, work is ongoing to create a conference centre and hotel development between the Baltic and the Sage.
The area has also received national attention since the opening of the By the River Brew Co shipping container village, under the Tyne Bridge, last year.