Merepark has announced the availability of around 75,000 square feet of offices in the Central Village development in Liverpool, which is being substantially regenerated on a largely speculative basis. The office space build within Central Village, referred to as The Department, is one of the largest speculative office space developments given the go-ahead in the north-west of England in recent years.
In addition to adding thousands of square feet of new office space, the site is set for three new hotels, a range of retail outlets, and several restaurants, bars, and cafes. The entire scheme centres on the radical refurbishment of a Grade II listed building that was once a very large department store. Development work linked to the project is expected to be finished before the end of 2012.
“Central Village is an extremely complex scheme, and after several years of hard work, we are delighted to see both the hotel and offices taking shape,” said Neal Hunter from Merepark.
“There has not been a building of this quality in this part of the city before, and we believe the inherent strengths of The Department will ensure that it finds a successful niche in the Liverpool office market.”
Chris Lloyd from DTZ, one of two appointed letting agents enlisted to market the relevant offices, said the property’s central and well-connected location should help add to its popularity as a base for businesses operating in the northwest.
The European Regional Development Fund has supported Merepark in its efforts to fund the Central Village project. The site’s offices will all be Grade A quality, and Merepark expects the overall endeavour to significantly boost the local economy and create as many as 3,000 jobs.
Editor’s notes: In 2013, it was announced that Merepark had entered into liquidation, and the Central Village scheme never materialised.