Milburngate has reached a significant milestone in the development of its Durham City centre scheme with the completion of the steelwork for the new Premier Inn hotel.
The hotel forms a key element of phase one of the living, working and leisure destination, which is due for completion in 2022.
The structure gives an indication of the outstanding views from the hotel of Durham’s riverside and the UNESCO World Heritage site featuring the cathedral and castle.
Containing 740 tonnes of British steel, supplied by North East based Finley Structures Ltd, the framework of the 92-bed room hotel has been completed by its sub-contractors and paves the way for the next stage of development, which includes the installation of windows and weather tightening before internal works begin before Christmas.
Joining the Premier Inn hotel at Milburngate will be Whitbread’s Bar + Block Steakhouse restaurant. Together the hotel and restaurant are expected to create up to 75 jobs in Durham City on opening.
With 15 restaurants across the UK, Bar + Block is an informal all-day dining restaurant with a focus on high-quality steaks. The contemporary restaurant design features a large open kitchen, spectacular central bar and rustic design elements including timbers, exposed brick walls and warm lighting.
The Premier Inn and Bar + Block restaurant will take their place alongside a number of other premium leisure operators, as well as an Everyman Cinema, at Milburngate, which is being delivered by a joint venture partnership between Arlington Real Estate and Richardson, supported by a £120 million forward funding commitment from LaSalle Investment Management.
Allan Cook, Managing Director of Arlington Real Estate, said: “This is an exciting moment for Milburngate as we are really starting to see phase one take shape with the completion of the steelwork of the Premier Inn and the three apartment blocks which will see 153 build-to-rent apartments delivered right in the heart of the city.
“The Premier Inn and Bar & Block restaurant is an excellent fit for Milburngate, and we are really looking forward to completion of this phase of the development, which will create much needed additional hotel rooms for our city.”
Richard Aldread, head of construction for Premier Inn in the north of England, Scotland, and Ireland, said: “Milburngate is a fantastic development for Premier Inn to be part of in Durham.
“The new Premier Inn hotel will give our guests a prime location to stay in the city centre, a stone’s throw away from Durham’s historical colleges, and with lots of on-site leisure options to enjoy during their stay.
“We’re confident the Premier Inn hotel and Bar & Block restaurant will trade very well once we open our doors to guests and diners in 2022 and we can’t wait to become part of the community when we do.”
David Thompson, regional director for Tolent, said: "The team continue to make great progress across the site and works to the external facade of the Premier Inn will begin in the next few weeks. Following this, internal works can start to begin creating the individual rooms, corridors and restaurant in the period leading up to Christmas.
To find out more about Premier Inn, or to book a room, please visit their website here.