Members of the public are being invited to celebrate the renaissance of Whitley Bay’s iconic Spanish City.
The famous landmark will be opening its doors for viewing from 12.30pm until 5.30pm on Saturday 21 July and between 9am and 4pm on Sunday 22 July.
It will be a chance for people to have a look around the newly-restored building and enjoy a weekend of celebration events and activities before the venue gets up and running, in time for the start of the school summer holidays.
North Tyneside Council has invested around £4m in its sympathetic restoration project and secured grants of £3.47m from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and more than £2.5m from the Coastal Communities Fund. The project, which is nearing completion, is being carried out in partnership with the council’s contractors Robertson Construction and appointed designers ADP.
It is the centrepiece of the authority’s £36m Seafront Master Plan to breathe new life into the coast between St Mary’s Island and Cullercoats Bay.
The new Spanish City will be run by Kymel Trading as a high-quality fine dining and leisure venue, fit for the modern day.
The celebration weekend will get underway with the Backworth Male Voice Choir and also feature traditional seaside fun, including entertainment, fairground rides and live jazz music, on the Plaza and Links.
There will be a big screen showing films about the Spanish City and groups of around 25 at a time will be allowed inside the building.
Thousands of visitors are expected over the course of weekend so people are warned to expect lengthy waits to get into the Dome. An accessible entrance is available on the promenade road side.
Visitors are also reminded that the building will be open for much of the weekend so are advised to plan their journeys carefully and to stagger the times they visit to avoid everyone turning up at the same time.
There are a number of nearby car parks, including free and accessible spaces, around Whitley Bay – visit the council website and search ‘off street car parks’ for a full list.
However, people are still encouraged to use alternative forms of transport, including the Metro, local buses, walking or cycling, where possible as it will be very busy.
Civil Enforcement Officers will be patrolling so visitors are warned not to park illegally – this includes parking on the new promenade opposite Hinnies restaurant.
Elected Mayor Norma Redfearn CBE said: “I am absolutely delighted that we will be welcoming local residents and visitors from further afield to come and join the celebrations and have a look at the completed building before it is up and running.
“The new Spanish City looks absolutely wonderful and everyone involved, including our partners, has done a fantastic job to produce something of the highest standard that we can all be proud of.
“This is the start of an exciting new chapter in the rich history of this iconic building and is the culmination of years of hard work by the council and our partners.
“We have all waited a long time for this moment but it is finally here and I am really looking forward to what promises to be an unforgettable weekend!”
North Tyneside Council Chief Executive Patrick Melia added: “I would like to thank our partners who have helped deliver the project and the public for their continued support throughout.”
ENDS
