PART of Tyneside’s history has been put up for sale.
Cash-strapped council bosses have revealed they are selling Newcastle’s Military Vehicle Museum.
The Grade II-listed building, in the city’s Exhibition Park, is the only remaining building from the 1929 North East Coast Exhibition which was opened by the Prince of ales and attracted almost five million visitors.
It was also integral part of the Tyneside Summer Exhibition from the 1960s until 1987.
At one time it was home to the Turbinia, the Tyne-built first steam-turbine powered steamship, but in 1983 it became the Military Vehicle Museum until its deteriorating condition forced its closure in 2006.
Now, eighty-two years old, the council, has put the dome-roofed building up for sale and is inviting potential buyers to come up with ideas for its future.
It is hoped it could become a cafe, restaurant, bar or even a nursery or sports centre.
The council, although it can no longer afford to repair the building, recently received £3m of Heritage Lottery Funding to improve the park around it, and believes the museum still has much to offer.
Coun Henri Murison, cabinet member for quality of life, said: “Without a doubt the museum is one of Tyneside’s most recognisable buildings.
“It’s been admired by millions of people who visited the Tyneside Summer Exhibition and Exhibition Park over the years.
“It has fallen into a state of disrepair and in these financially challenging times we can no longer afford to repair it, so reluctantly we are putting it up on the market.
“It could be used as a museum, a day nursery or for educational purposes.
“We would like to hear a range of ideas for future use of the building which are innovative and socially inclusive.”
Opened in 1929, the building was originally named the Palace of Arts, and was first used to house the North East Coast Exhibition.
The exhibition was a tribute to the region’s skills and industry, running for six months before closing to the fanfare of a huge fireworks display.
It was then put to a number of uses, including a range of exhibitions and fairs, but most famously the Tyneside Summer Festival, an annual carnival that featured a range of cheerful games and attractions.
As a last resort, if the council cannot sell the building, it may have to apply to English Heritage for it to be de-listed so it can be demolished.
The council plans to advertise the sale of the building and is open to offers.
Anyone interested in viewing the building should contact Katy Connolly at the council on 0191 211 5528.
