Big Names help drive city revivalAnother day, and yet more evidence of Liverpool’s astonishing renaissance.
A spectacular £160m shopping, residential and leisure development
will transform part of the city centre, with a 38-storey residential tower,
a three or four star hotel, shops and offices and 350 car parking spaces
behind Central Station.
On the same day as plans for this scheme were submitted, it was revealed
a string of top names have been signed up for the city’s Met Quarter
shopping development, now nearing completion in Whitechapel.
This £75m project will transform what used to be a run-down part
of town into a state-of-the-art development containing a host of up-market
stores, bringing more designer labels to the city than the famous Triangle
shopping centre brought to Manchester.
Both these schemes show that the economic transformation of the city,
talked about for so long, is now becoming a reality.
The former Post Office site, in particular, has been the subject of numerous
false starts and projects which never got off the ground.
With such an array of names ‘ including Armani, Hugo Boss and Flannels
‘ it is to be hoped people feel confident enough economically to
sustain such an up-market ‘ and, no doubt, pricey ‘ development,
as the rampant consumer spending of the past few years is definitely showing
signs of coming to an end.
However, such big names as these ‘ and many others besides ‘
would not be signing up if they did not feel confident about the city’s
long-term economic outlook.
Extensive research has shown there is a gap in the market for exclusive
designer labels, and if shoppers can spend their money here, rather than
having to travel to Manchester, then so much the better.
Both this scheme, and the one to transform the area behind Central Station
‘ another part of town which has long bee in need of a facelift
‘ show that Liverpool is serious about restoring its place as a
major British and European city.