A leading video game developer will be the first business to move into a multi-million pound office block.
Gateshead Council has announced the first new tenants that will move into its Riga building in early 2020, only six months after breaking ground on the 50,000 sq ft Grade-A office development in Gateshead.
Sumo Group plc has agreed to lease the top two floors, extending to 16,500 sq ft, to house the local studios of its Sumo Digital and Atomhawk businesses.
The firm is behind games including Sonic Racing, Hitman 2 and Little Big Planet 3.
Riga, a new £13m workspace designed by Ryder Architecture, is part of the Baltic Quarter site located next to Gateshead Quays. It will be the first Grade-A office building built in the Gateshead Quays area for around 10 years.
The new building forms part of the council's plan to develop the area into an "innovation district", where game studios and tech firms can access state-of-the-art equipment usually only available to larger companies.
Riga will rise to a height of six storeys and provide larger office spaces than its three sister buildings: the Northern Design Centre, Proto, and Baltimore House.
It is hoped that the building will allow companies that have grown within the Baltic Quarter to stay in the area during the scale-up phase of their lifecycle.
Most Read
Coun Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council, said: "This is really encouraging. Riga doesn't complete until February 2020 and already we have two floors committed. It demonstrates a confidence in Baltic Quarter and that companies can grow here.
"Atomhawk made Gateshead their home back in July 2009, and they have continued to thrive and grow. They started off as a team of three in Greenesfield Business Centre then expanded to larger premises in Northern Design Centre.
"It's apt that the company's next chapter, alongside Sumo Digital, who moved into the Northern Design Centre last year, comes at a milestone moment in time for us, as we embark on the next phase of development at Baltic Quarter and Gateshead Quays.
"We'd like to thank Sumo and Atomhawk for helping to make the Baltic Quarter community what it is and we're looking forward to seeing them settle into their new home in less than a years' time."
Tim Wilson, Atomhawk managing director, said "Gateshead and the Quays are integral to Atomhawk's success story, having supported our growth from day one. We're looking forward to moving into the Riga building where we can continue to supply cutting-edge art services to our clients in the video games, movie and television industries.
"The new building really symbolizes the innovative spirit and success of Gateshead and the Quays," added Owen O'Brien, Studio Director, Sumo Digital. "We need to be in an office and location that will support Sumo's continued growth as an employer in the region. The Riga building and the Quays is the perfect place to make that happen."
The remaining space in the building is being offered for lease by BNP Paribas Real Estate and can accommodate requirements from 4,951 sq ft up to 30,000 sq ft and will complete in February 2020.