Liverpool city centre is undergoing two new regeneration projects, which will oversee new residential developments, hotels, and amenities. The Liverpool Echo reports that work is already underway to build a four-star hotel on the corner of Park Lane and Liver Street. A residential development is also planned for Beckwith Street.
The Dalata Maldron Hotel is being constructed on the site of a former car park, and is situated near the so called ‘Baltic Triangle’ area of the city. This is a regenerated cultural hub, with plenty of independent bars, digital startups, markets, and music venues, much like Manchester’s Northern Quarter, or Shoreditch in London.
The new 260-bedroom hotel will have a gym, restaurant, and conference centre, and is scheduled for completion by autumn 2023. The £37.5m development also includes plans for a high-rise residential block of 90 apartments. It is a joint venture scheme involving Merseyside Sun Ltd, Aviva, Dalata & McAleer & Rushe.
A further plan is underway to redevelop the former Heap’s Rice Mill on Beckwith Street. The Grade II listed building has been falling into a state of disrepair after it was vacated in 2005. The building dates from the 1850s, and is one of the earliest surviving warehouses in the area.
It was built as a facility to re-mill imported rice from Asia to revive it after the long journey, and later to remove the husks and repolish the rice. The mill is considered to be of historical significance; a reminder of Liverpool’s 19th century status as a leading mercantile and international trading centre.
Liverpool City Council have now granted planning permission for the mill to be renovated and repurposed into 123 residential apartments. The development company, Quarryman Investments Ltd, is owned by Antony Maxwell-Jones.
Maxwell Jones told the Echo: “I think Liverpool has had a tough time with all of the political changes around the mayor and planning and the government taking over, so I think it’s a massive tick in the box and a vote of confidence in the city that an institution like Aviva have decided to invest in the city.”
He added that the development work was due to start in September. He said: “It’s a complicated development taking a derelict listed building and converting it to apartments is a complicated exercise.”
“It’s very difficult to make the viability work, so just simplistically – the cost of converting that building into residential is very expensive and the values that the residential market command of Liverpool, until recently, haven’t justified doing the redevelopment. It’s been purely a cost point really.”
He added: “I think for that immediate location it’s such a central location of Liverpool, it’s great to see that it’s all coming forward but it has been hard work with the pandemic and then build cost, inflation has been very challenging. It’s a great regeneration site.”
The apartments will be completed to a high specification, with views overlooking Liverpool cathedral. They are expected to be available for purchase from 2024/5.
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