BUILDING work began yesterday on the North-East's new multi-million pound concert centre.
The Music Centre in Gateshead is being built on a site overlooking the River Tyne, between the Tyne Bridge and the new Gateshead Millennium Bridge.
It will contain a 1,650-seat concert hall, a smaller 400-seat venue, a hall for community events and rehearsals, as well as conference facilities and a music education centre.
Regional development agency One NorthEast announced an investment of £7m yesterday as the final piece of the funding jigsaw.
Other finance for the £70m project will come from The Arts Council and the National Lottery.
Dr John Bridge, chairman of One NorthEast, said: "This major landmark attraction is excellent news for the whole region and will raise the North-East's profile worldwide. It will boost tourism and be a focus for the creative industries, as well as providing superb facilities for music students of all ages from across the whole of the North-East."
The centre will help integrate both sides of the Tyne and create a new cultural quarter for the whole region. It is expected to create about 100 jobs and attract more than 500,000 visitors a year.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article