ONE of the North-East's biggest hotel and leisure projects was officially opened yesterday.
The £70m scheme is being built next to Newcastle's International Centre for Life on the site of the city's former cattle market.
It will include a 274-bed hotel - the largest in the North-East - restaurants, bars, about 130,000sq ft of office space and up to 75 new apartments.
The leader of Newcastle City Council Tony Flynn helped to launch the project at the Life Interactive World Centre.
He said: "Newcastle Quayside's development area is fantastic.
"Just about all those spaces have been filled up with hotels, restaurants, residential developments and office space.
"And with this new scheme we are looking to develop St James' Boulevard and building around the Centre for Life as the next major development for the city.
"These are very exciting times for Newcastle."
The developers are Belfast company McAleer and Rushe, who, in partnership with the International Centre for Life, will work on the project over a three-year period.
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