Northern Insight caught up with Gary Forrest, chairman of High Street Group, the Tyneside business leading the development of Newcastle's tallest tower, to find out what the future has in store for this landmark project
Towering above the beating heart of Newcastle is Hadrian’s Tower, a new city icon. A beacon of the ambition of the North East, and of the man behind High Street Group, the company responsible for the multi-million-pound scheme.
Gary Forrest is a proud North Easterner. It is clear that, despite already expanding his business into Manchester and Birmingham among other places, Newcastle is a place where Gary is keen to make a mark. And Hadrian’s Tower will do just that.
One of the North East’s most eagerly anticipated developments in decades, Hadrian’s Tower looms over St James’ Park, in the heart of Newcastle city centre, and is set to become the most sought-after residential address in the region, once work on the 27-storey development concludes in the Autumn. The vision of High Street Group – an award-winning family of companies specialising in private rental schemes, property construction, and hospitality – company chairman, Gary Forrest, believes the £40m development will herald a new dawn for his beloved hometown.
“Since its formation in 2006, The High Street Group has worked on numerous high-profile property developments across the UK, but this is by far our proudest achievement,” Gary tells Northern Insight. “It’s a really symbolic development – its size, scale and quality all serve to demonstrate the ambition we have for the city, and we are proud that Hadrian’s Tower will raise the bar in Newcastle, providing a standard of living that we consider to be unique.”
Gary adds: “When the lockdown was imposed and construction sites the length and breadth of the UK were brought to a halt, many people were left wondering what would happen to the majority of the region’s unfinished developments, including Hadrian’s Tower. “However, thanks to the resilience of the UK’s construction sector, the industry was soon able to adapt to the new normal’, embracing social distancing measures to keep Britain building in as responsible and safe a manner as possible. So, the Tower has continued to progress, keeping us on course to open later this year.” Standing taller than the Angel of the North, Newcastle’s largest tower is breathtaking in scale, boasting panoramic views of one of the country’s most magnificent skylines while providing residents with all of the added benefits of staying in a 7-star hotel. Work started on the construction of Hadrian’s Tower back in 2018 with the appointment of Tolent to lead the ambitious regeneration project, which was previously a brownfield site left vacant for over a decade. When work is complete in the Autumn, it is set to redefine luxurious living. Dubbed a Hometel’ by its developers, Hadrian’s Tower will comprise 161 open-plan apartments, consisting of one, two and three bed apartments and four penthouses, as well as 3Sixty, a rooftop Laurent Perrier champagne bar and restaurant, the first of its kind in the North East. Forrest explains: “Newcastle is a world-class city in almost every aspect, therefore it’s only fitting that it has a world-class address such as Hadrian’s Tower as it looks to strengthen its position as one of the best cities in the world to live, work and play.”
A landmark of true architectural innovation, the thorough attention to detail – for which The High Street Group has become known – has led to the most cutting-edge smart technology being woven into the fabric of the building since work on the development began.”
Many luxury developments claim to deliver excellence. Hadrian’s Tower has set its sights on defining it. Boasting the fastest residential broadband and wi-fi speeds in the city, each homeowner will have access to an array of facilities to make their day-to-day life that little bit easier, meaning they can focus on their work and wellbeing, while the technology takes care of mundane everyday chores. “The ultra-fast full fibre optic cabling installed in the building will be 25 times faster than the UK average and the fastest residential broadband in the city, making working from home as seamless as working from the office,” Gary says. “Our own mobile app will also allow residents to remotely manage their heating, order room service from the 3Sixty lounge, arrange cleaning and even have their pets looked after while they’re out of town.
“Newcastle is a city steeped in heritage with an established economy, world-class culture and vibrant night-life – and we hope Hadrian’s Tower will further bolster the city’s already magnificent offering as we look to continue building on the city’s success.”
