Eyesore Springs building at Teesside Park is finally demolished

Work is well underway to replace the derelict former Springs health club on Teesside Retail Park with a flagship furniture store

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Springs demolition

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After years of blighting the entrance to Teesside Retail Park the eyesore Springs building has finally been razed to the ground.

Work is now well underway on a new Barker and Stonehouse store on the site, which will double as the company’s head office, following a £4.5m investment by the firm.

Construction is due to start on the flagship store next month once the demoltion of the former Springs Health Club is complete.

Vacant since February 2007, the derelict site has been the focus of several failed regeneration attempts, including most recently in 2011 an application to build a Travelodge, Harvester pub and Nandos restaurant.

Stockton Council’s planning committee voted unanimously to approve Barker and Stonehouse’s “quality development” in April.

McLuckie Projects is overseeing the build and working with a team of specialist contractors and engineers on-site, including Bucklers of Middlesbrough who is handling the demolition.

Project manager Dennis McLuckie said: “The new store will provide a flagship building on this gateway site of the retail park.

“It will really enhance the visual quality of the existing retail environment, while also sitting sympathetically within the natural landscape.”

He added: “It’s great to be on site and able to get started with the project. We’re hoping to begin the construction phase in early July and to be weather-tight by Christmas.”

Archial Norr Architects has designed the flagship store in close consultation with James Barker and Dennis McLuckie.

The Teesside development will feature an in-store café, two floors of retail space spread over 4,827sqm and a large car park for nearly 100 cars.

The store is planned to open in early 2015.

Barker and Stonehouse, founded in Stockton in 1946, is one of Teesside’s flagship home-grown businesses.

James Barker, managing director of Barker and Stonehouse, said: “This is going to be a spectacular store and will be a great asset to the Teesside Retail Park and wider Teesside area.”