Updates on Newcastle city centre’s new Tescos
Heavy overnight snow provided a good excuse to take a walk into Newcastle today, rather than trying to drive anywhere further afield. It was also an opportunity to see what was happening with Newcastle’s two new city centre Tescos.
The internal fit-out of the Tesco Metro in Clayton Street – part of the St Andrew’s Way extension of Eldon Square – looks to be progressing well, ahead of it’s scheduled opening in a couple of weeks’ time. The hoardings have now been taken down, and it’s possible to see inside, with the signage, shelves and checkouts all in place.
In contrast, work seems to have barely started on the Tesco Express at Eldon Garden, in the former Sony Centre unit facing Percy Street, though there is a poster up advertising its impending arrival.
Taking the escalator that runs from ground level in Percy Street (in front of the new Tesco) to the side entrance of Lakeland within Eldon Garden shopping centre, I was again puzzled by the empty mezzanine floor that sits above the new Tesco, and underneath Lakeland. It was built as part of the extension to Eldon Garden a few years ago, and is only really visible from the escalator.
It has quite a large floor area but has never been used – perhaps because there doesn’t seem to be any way of actually getting into it, other than if it were made accessible from one of the retail units above or below. If anyone can shed any light on why the shopping centre extension was designed this way, and what the mezzanine floor is supposed to be for, I’d be interested to hear!
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