Red Letter Day for Pilgrim's Quarter Development with Rooftop 'Topping Out' Ceremony
Last Friday saw a landmark achievement within the Pilgrim’s Quarter development programme with a ‘Topping Out’ ceremony attended by staff from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Newcastle City Council and the project development team.
Visitors to the City Centre will have noticed great progress on the project, arguably one of the largest single occupancy projects in the central core of the city. The office which stands at between six and nine storeys tall wraps around a complete block of property fronting Pilgrim Street, Market Street, New Bridge Street West and John Dobson Street.
The regional centre will provide office accommodation for approximately 9,000 HMRC staff and will be the largest of HMRC’s 14 regional centres at 463,000square feet (43,000sq m). The massive building is a major statement in relation to a successful and comprehensive regeneration of the Pilgrim Street area within Newcastle city centre.
Jim Harra, HMRC’s Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary, said: “This significant milestone brings us closer to the completion of our new regional centre in the North East. Newcastle’s Pilgrim’s Quarter will create career opportunities within HMRC’s largest office, a high quality, modern and accessible working environment, and enable us to better meet the needs of our employees and customers.”
Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Karen Kilgour, said: “It’s so exciting to see the completion of a significant milestone in the construction of this massive development which will provide top class office accommodation for 9,000 HMRC employees.”
“It’s impossible to overstate the transformational effect all these people working in the city centre will have. Shops, restaurants, bars, and attractions all stand to benefit from the boost in economic activity.”
“That all this will come from a part of the city centre that for years lay abandoned and unloved makes it remarkable and shows the incredible things that can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together.”
Chris Turnbull, Principal at Avison Young who project manage the scheme, comments. “We are delighted that Pilgrim’s Quarter continues to progress on programme to handover to HMRC in late 2025. Like everyone else, we are excited to see the building take shape and celebrate a ‘topping out ceremony’."
Paul Anderson, Contracts Manager, at the main contractor, Bowmer and Kirkland adds. “This is a proud moment for the entire B+K team to celebrate such a significant milestone on this landmark project. Our focus now turns to wrapping up the façade and preparing to commission and handover a first class building for our client.”
Commercial, Town Planning and Project Management services are being provided by Avison Young with Architectural Design by Ryder Architecture and Engineering input by Cundall. The contractor is Bowmer and Kirkland.
Image: HMRC, Newcastle City Council and Development Team (Credit HMRC/Katherine Cuthbertson)
