What better way to engage with the public, encouraging us all to care about our city, than to put the name of the new city square into our hands.
I refer to the article in the Sunderland Echo, Your Shout! 16th July 2014. In which Wearsiders are being called upon to help create the city’s new public square.
The new civic square is now taking shape and it aims to celebrate Sunderland’s heritage and the new £3m square is part of a wider scheme to realign St Marys Way and to create a new gateway into the Sunderland city Centre.
Across the 14 acre site here at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) we have thrown it out to tenants and staff to help contribute to new buildings names over the years, Riverview building being the latest name put out to vote by businesses based there to coincide with the refurbishments. Likewise Innovator House received its name thanks to the tenants and staff here.
It is important to remember our strong industrial reputation, this is not, as some say, living in the past, but rather we are proud of our history and I think it helps to illustrate to future generations where we’ve been, where we are and indeed where we are going.
The BIC is built on Austin and Pickersgill shipyard and whilst we have many buildings here paying homage to the past I can assure you that the established businesses based on site are very much planning their future and to remain in business one must continually look forward to ensure growth.
I therefore think it is quite fitting to honour our past, one will be a 3.5 metre high landmark sculpture in the form of a giant glass propeller which will also include photos of hundreds of Sunderland shipyard workers.
Every city needs a heartbeat and I do hope the new square will prove to be just that. For those interesting in contributing towards the name visit http://sunderland-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portalSuggested names are:
- Keel Square/Yard
- Voyager Place/Square
- Vector Place/Square
- Unity Place/Square
- Swan Place/Square
- Vista Place/Square
- Victory Place/Square
- Sandrail Place/Square