'It's a privilege to be behind the transformation of this building'

"We feel proud to be the custodians of a building with so much heritage and to repurpose it for the future," says the owner of the old Norfolk Hotel as the landmark Sunniside building enters a new chapter.

- by Katy Wheeler

Work is nearing completion on phase 1 of a £500,000 project to give new life to the former hotel which has had a colourful past.

Dating back to the mid-1800s, with a new entrance created in 1900, the building, in Norfolk Street, has a long history in the city, from the building where SAFC was created at a meeting in 1879, to its time as a grand hotel, the site of many weddings, and, in more recent years, as a hostel.

NEGLECTED

Although many of its original features remain, the site had been seriously neglected and fallen into a state of disrepair, becoming something of a white elephant in the city centre.

Sunderland-based Marengo Estates took over the 16,000 sqft hotel and its 45 bedrooms back in 2022, with ambitious plans to repurpose the site for the future.

The team has encountered many problems along the way, including wet rot, dry rot, structural issues and break-ins, meaning they have gone £100,000 over their initial budget.

But, in the coming weeks, the first of the new tenants will move into phase one in the former townhouse section of the old hotel.

Marengo specialises in quality commercial spaces, for a whole range of creatives and businesses, and they've created 12 new spaces in the townhouse, as well as making the building accessible.