A manufacturing plant that was converted into the North East’s Nightingale Hospital has been put on the market.
The huge facility, based at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park close to Nissan, had been built as a research centre for the automotive industry, but was taken on by NHS at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to serve first as a Nightingale Hospital and then as a vaccination centre.
More than 220,000 vaccinations have been administered from the site since January.
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Now – with demand at a premium for industrial space – the building, Unit 6 on International Drive, is set to be vacated by April 2022 and returned to its intended use, meaning it will be ready for a new occupier by summer.
The unit includes significant factory floor space, warehousing accommodation, 27,000 sq ft of Grade A open-plan offices across two floors. It also has two 15T gantry cranes, seven loading doors, and 300 car parking spaces with 12 EV charging points.
It will stand alongside Envision AESC’s new gigafactory, which recently gained planning permission, which is a cornerstone of Nissan 36Zero EV Hub, the £1bn new eco-system that puts Sunderland at the heart of Europe’s electric revolution.
The building will be returned to an empty shell as the NHS winds down the temporary facilities that were set up to ensure the resilience of health services during the pandemic.
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Peter McIntyre, executive director of city development at Sunderland City Council, said: “We’re pleased to be bringing this exceptional building to the market. Having supported the national effort to tackle Coronavirus, it is now set to boost the region’s economic health by driving forward IAMP, a nationally significant development and part of a wider network of automotive hubs in the city.
“It’s an impressive space and we look forward to seeing it in use in the New Year.”
The building is being jointly marketed by HTA Real Estate and Avison Young.
Neil Watson, who heads up the vaccination programme for the North East and North Cumbria, said: "The Nightingale was never intended to be used as a long term vaccination facility. It was fortunately available at the right time when the vaccination programme was launched, which meant we were able to increase the speed and volume of activity at the beginning of the programme.
“We will continue to deliver vaccinations at the site until the end of March 2022. Ongoing national discussions regarding future Covid-19 vaccination requirements, including boosters, will inform our regional and local delivery plans going forward.”