Work is starting on a major redevelopment of a former Ouseburn warehouse that has become a famous graffiti wall.
Plans were approved last year for an overhaul of the popular street art spot in Maling Street, next to the Glasshouse Bridge and the Tyne Bar. Hoardings are now going up around the former Stables Buildings site in preparation for it to be transformed into a new complex that could be home to a restaurant, shops, and other local businesses.
And the team behind the refurbishment project told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week that they will be creating space for graffiti artists as part of the development, in order to preserve the wall's legacy.
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Gabby Samra, who is managing the revamp on behalf of the site’s owners, said: “We are very conscious of it and it has been on the agenda at every meeting we have had. The project has been developed so that there will be space allocated for street artists. It is a really well-known part of the Ouseburn and we don’t want to see it go either.”
There will be a dedicated area for graffiti artists to use both during the four-month construction project and once it is completed.
She added: “Obviously it is not going to be the whole space, but there will be designated areas – that is for safety reasons and so there won’t be any damage done. Then once the development is completed we want to have something similar, a blank canvas that will be a dedicated area on the building where they can do their street art.”
While no tenants are yet confirmed for the rebuilt site, it will be split into three units – the largest of which will be a restaurant or café with a roof terrace area. The developers have pledged that whoever does move in will be local, with no shortage of businesses eager for space in a part of Newcastle that has undergone a spectacular revival over recent years.
Gabby said: “A big part of it for us is to not just throw in anything that will make money – we are not just here to make money, we are not here to put in a Costa Coffee for example. We are conscious of developing the Ouseburn area and keeping it local.”
She added: “The other [two units aside from the restaurant] will be mixed use – it could be anything from a tattooist or a poetry studio or retail. Nothing is secured yet but we are fortunate that it is such a popular site in a cool location.”
It is the second time that the plans to revamp the derelict site have won Newcastle City Council’s backing, having also done so in 2017 – but that permission lapsed as no work had begun on the site.
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