Liverpool Vision

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City Centre

City Centre Action Areas are as follows:

Commercial District

Liverpool’s Commercial District has witnessed a remarkable transformation in developer interest and investor confidence. Since 2000, more than 1m sq ft of grade A office space has been successfully delivered in the city’s business district.
New schemes such as 101 Old Hall Street, City Square, 20 Chapel Street and St. Paul’s Square have transformed the look and performance of the area and helped attract new companies to the city.

By facilitating a consistent stream of new high quality space, Liverpool Vision is helping to sustain the city’s rapid economic growth, meet rising local demand and compete effectively for inward investment.

Retail Core

Liverpool‘s retail landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. Major investment by Grosvenor and Milligan RRI has transformed the look and performance of the city’s retail environment.
In 2006, the upmarket Metquarter opened and brought fashion brands such as Hugo Boss and Armani to Liverpool for the first time.

Grosvenor’s £1bn Liverpool One project is the largest retail-led regeneration project in Europe. The scheme, covering 42 acres, opened in May 2008 and provides 1.5m sq ft of retail space as well as hotels, apartments and a multi-screen cinema.

Land Securities have recently obtained planning permission for a multi million pound refurbishment of St. John’s Centre which will see the relocation of the city market to Williamson Square and the extensive remodelling of the centre itself. Land Securities investment in the centre, which focuses on the value end of the market, complements the offer in Liverpool One and the Met Quarter.

The public realm within the retail area has benefitted from significant investment upgrading the quality of the entire retail centre.

Waterfront

Over the past five years the regeneration of Liverpool’s waterfront has become a reality. The development of a number of major schemes is transforming the area into a major visitor destination.

At Kings Waterfront, the new £150m Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool launched the European Capital of Culture celebrations in January 2008, while hotel and residential development is also well underway.


Significant progress has been made on other key waterfront projects. The Cruise Liner Terminal opened in September 2007 and construction of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal is nearing completion. At Mann Island, work is well underway on the Museum of Liverpool and Neptune Countryside’s £120m mixed-use scheme.

Knowlegde Quarter

The role that Liverpool’s universities play in the economy of the region is very significant. The city’s Knowledge Quarter generates £1 billion in income per annum, supports as many as 14,000 full-time jobs, around 7% of the Liverpool total - in just 1% of the city’s geographical area. Many are highly-skilled knowledge based jobs, the key driver for the development of modern cities - in particular on the bio-sciences, health related research and practice, and digital technology.
A cluster of activity sits at the interface of the universities in the Brownlow Hill area of the city centre. The first phase of the Liverpool Science Park, located adjacent to the Metropolitan Cathedral, is now 60% let and a second phase will be complete in 2009. The Liverpool John Moores University Design Academy, also due to complete in 2009, consolidates the focus of the knowledge community in this area.

North of the University of Liverpool campus the School of Tropical Medicine - a world leader in the field of infectious diseases has recently completed a £25m extension, funded by the Gates Foundation and NWDA, which will accommodate space for primary research and consultancy activity further consolidating its international reputation.

In recognition of the importance of the Knowledge Quarter to the regional economy a programme of public realm improvements have commenced. Liverpool Vision is co-ordinating improvements to streets and spaces over the next 3 years. The first project, due to complete in early 2009 delivers a new space – University Square – at the junction of Brownlow Hill and Mount Pleasant.

Within the Hope Street area investment in the public realm has triggered private sector investment in further hotel and restaurant developments and the growth of the cafe culture. Projects to expand and invest in the Everyman Theatre and Philharmonic Hall are in development, as are further projects at the Anglican and Metropolitan Cathedrals to maximise their tourism/visitor potential.

Lime Street Gateway

The area around Lime Street Station is one of the key gateways to Liverpool city centre. The station itself - a Grade II Listed building - is surrounded by a collection of outstanding buildings such as St George’s Hall, the Walker Art Gallery and the World Museum Liverpool, and is within the designated World Heritage Site. It has the potential to be a truly unique welcome, which befits a world-class city.

Liverpool Vision and English Partnerships, together with Network Rail, Liverpool City Council and Merseytravel, are to transform this important entrance to the city. The Lime Street Gateway project is being co-ordinated by Liverpool Vision on behalf of the partners.

The current Concourse House retail units and tower block, which restrict access and views to the main station, will be removed to reveal the stations elegant stone arched gable-end, and allow the creation of a new public space at the front of Lime Street Station.

Ropewalks

RopeWalks is a unique area of the city centre, characterised by the concentration of 19th century warehouses and merchants houses. Much of the street pattern and built fabric is the same today as it was 200 years ago. The long, narrow streets were at one time used to bind rope, and are still the defining characteristic of the area.

Since the early 1990s, RopeWalks has developed as a centre for Liverpool’s night-time economy and creative industries. Many businesses operating within RopeWalks are drawn from media, publishing, design and communications sectors.

RopeWalks has established itself as part of the city centre living phenomenon. Many historic buildings have now been refurbished as apartments and there have been significant amounts of new build on gap sites in the area. An active residential community is now established in the area.

Baltic Triangle

The Baltic Triangle is part of the historic port hinterland and is bordered by Ropewalks, Liverpool One and Kings Waterfront. It contains a mix of historic warehouses and functional business premises populated by small businesses and an increasing residential population.

Development in recent years has focussed in the northern half of the area adjacent to Liverpool One, where a number of residential developments have completed. More recently however the southern Creative Quarter has become a location of choice for a range of creative businesses. Companies already established and trading in the area include A Foundation, Liverpool Biennial, The Picket music venue, Novas’s Contemporary Urban Centre and Elevator Studios.

Liverpool Vision is co-ordinating the establishment of Creative Industries Trust in the area and a programme of public realm improvements.

Documents & Links

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The Capital, 39 Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9PP Telephone: +44(0)151 600 2900 Email: info@liverpoolvision.co.uk