(15 Oct 2022, 6:51 pm)Storx wrote Marks and Spencer in Newcastle 100% won't be closing. It's one of their flagship stores and the Food Hall is one of the top performers in the country (used to be the top at one point).If true, then Marks can move into the whole first floor of this new station. It would be huge.
It's why it constantly gets refurbishments and anything new in it. It's just recently had a new opticians put into it aswell which pretty much confirms it isn't going anywhere.
If there's another bus station it needs to be to the South of the city to stop Gateshead and/or Metro Centre buses trundling across the city. If you really want one near Eldon Square built it opposite on Eldon Garden it's a waste of space, the temporary buildings which have been there for decades and on the open car park round the back there's enough space for it.
Eldon Garden is too far from the Metro (which can be fully integrated into this new station in this plan, knocking down the ridiculous current building).
Far better to revamp the west side plot as leisure and residential, the key selling point being a pedestrian bridge linking it to Newcastle's brand new bus/Metro interchange.
Alternatively, albeit unlikely to win any cost-benefit calculations, but extremely useful from a practical standpoint, turn it into a coach terminal and local bus parking.