Hope Street hotel plan is revived; Office use will only be for two years.
Byline: DAVID BARTLETTTHE company behind a mothballed pounds 100m scheme to redevelop Liverpool's Hope Street has unveiled new plans for one element of the project.
Maghull Developments will temporarily refurbish the Hahnemann Building to provide short-term flexible office accommodation for up to two years.
But, after that, it hopes to revert to its original plan to convert the Grade II listed building at 58 Hope Street into a four star 50-bedroom boutique hotel with a bar, restaurant and day-spa.
Last night, it claimed it would "raise the bar" of Liverpool hotel accomodation with rooms larger than anywhere else in the city at 32 sq metres in size.
The firm was forced back to the drawing board with its original plans for a 62- bedroom hotel in the
Hahnemann Building after the building was listed last yea r.
Michael Hanlon, managing director of Maghull Developments said: "We've considered the comments made in respect of the previous applications very carefully.
"Local businesses, stakeholders and residents made some very interesting observations and suggestions and we've taken many of these on board in the new scheme.
"We've spent considerable time and money revisiting the application with the help of a newly appointed architect and are confident that we're bringing forward a commercially viable scheme that embraces the feedback and complements the surrounding area.
"In particular, we've reduced the scale of the newbuild extension and are proposing a boutique hotel of the very highest standard of design, operation and service.
"Our whole vision for Hope Street was borne out of extensive consultation with the city council's planning and conservation officers, English Heritage and various resident groups and we are hopeful these modifications will meet with the approval of all parties." It plans to start work to convert the Hahnemann in May, with space from 120sq ft to 10,000 sq ft becoming available later this summer.
The credit crunch forced the company to put on ice its plans for other offices, a 263- space basement car park, a high-class mini market, restaurants, and office space, and more than 50 apartments.
* TO READ how Liverpool JMU netted pounds 10m from the sale of its Hope Street buildings to Maghull, visit http://bit.ly/jmuhopeWhat do you think? Email us with your views at letters@dailypost.co.uk, or write to us at the address on Page 12
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An artist's impression of the Hahnemann Building, in Liverpool's Hope Street
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| Publication: | Daily Post (Liverpool, England) |
|---|---|
| Date: | May 6, 2009 |
| Words: | 405 |
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