A number of ongoing developments could bring significant change to Liverpool city centre.
Many projects are hoping to breathe new life into parts of our region – whether that's Everton's new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, turning the Littlewoods building into a campus of film and TV studios or masterplans to regenerate some of Merseyside's towns.
In the city centre itself, a number of housing projects are beginning to take shape, while ground has recently been broken on others. There are also long-mooted projects which are in need of a renewed sense of purpose and direction, as well as a new ferry terminal nearing completion.
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Here, we look at ongoing projects in Liverpool city centre which could drive change in our region.
Isle of Man Ferry Terminal
A new ferry terminal linking Liverpool with the Isle of Man is scheduled to enter operation next year. The £70m development of the terminal at Princes Half Tide dock began in 2019 with an initial planned completion date of August 2021 but it has faced a number of delays.
The overall costs of the project have risen significantly over the last few years. The terminal is said to be costing the Manx Government the region of £70m, almost double the original projection of around £38m.
The terminal is the Isle of Man government's first development project away from its own shores. Construction has progressed this year, with the pontoon recently dropped into place by huge cranes and the terminal looking almost complete.
The aim is now for passenger services to begin at the terminal in March 2024. The first vessel to use the terminal will be the Steam Packet’s fast craft Manannan, expected to be in passenger service by the end of that month.
When it opens, it will provide a new link between Liverpool and the island -said to be symbolic of a new “long term relationship” between the two.
Pall Mall
Liverpool City Council first discussed plans for a £200m commercial development to be built in Pall Mall on part of the former Exchange Station site in 2016. The plan proved controversial, seeing protests from those who wanted to save the Bixteth Street Gardens green space around the development site.
However, plans for a 400,000 sq ft office development were approved in October 2019 but the project has met a number of hurdles since. BT were planning to occupy the space but dropped its interest in 2020.
The city council has a development agreement with Kier Construction to deliver the city centre project in phases and work is underway. Kier has full planning permission for the first office building, public realm and hotel and outline consent for the 3rd and 4th office buildings.
According to Place North West, the site will remain vacant until a pre-let for the commercial space is signed. The hope is that 2024 could see meaningful developments for the site.
Following the publication of the Liverpool Strategic Futures report, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority looks to tackle stalled sites as one of its priorities.
December saw progress at Littlewoods at long last, with work beginning to turn the former football pools building into a film and TV campus. Pall Mall could be the next major development in the city to take off.
One Park Lane
Legacie Developments is constructing the 16-storey One Park Lane apartment building on the corner of Park Lane and Liver Street in Liverpool city centre. The scheme has a gross development value of £25m and will turn the dockland site into 90 apartments.
The building will offer a mix of studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments, said to be in a "Manhattan style". Meanwhile, Legacie is also building 620 units on the 18th century Heap’s Rice Mill site surrounding One Park Lane, which has a total gross development value of £140 million.
The firm has also recently constructed the £90m Parliament Square development on Greenland Street – the Baltic Triangle's first tower.
Legacie says it is on track to reach the 16th storey at One Park Lane imminently. The CGIs show how the apartment scheme could look. According to Legacie, the development will give residents access to a spa with sauna and steam room, gym, rooftop bar and terrace, commercial spaces, a landscaped square, break out areas and an onsite museum with a café.
The Gateway
Work began this month to construct more than 600 apartments at the edge of Liverpool city centre.
Legacie Developments has broken ground on a site on Leeds Street, where it is building 656 luxury residential apartments spread across four towers, making up a development called The Gateway. The £200m scheme will feature a garden spa, complete with an infrared sauna, swimming pool, ice bath, oxygen chamber, and experience showers.
There will also be two gyms on site, two resident lounges complete with a cinema room, landscaped gardens, a coffee shop, convenience store and other commercial amenities. The project will form part of the city's "Northern Quarter", adjacent to the business district.
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