£130m Heaps Mill residential scheme in Liverpool will offer 527 apartments and the project, incorporating a 248-year-old Grade II-listed mill, has now reached a major construction milestone. Tony McDonough reports
Work on the £130m Heaps Mill residential scheme in Liverpool has reached a major construction milestone.
Comprising four buildings and a total of 527 apartments, Heaps Mill is centred around the restoration of an Grade II-listed mill which dates back almost 250 years. The site saw multiple stalled projects until it was taken on by developer Legacie.
Now the scheme has reached a significant milestone with the ‘topping out’ of one of the four buildings – Maritime View. This means it has reached its highest structural point.
In attendance at the ceremony was Secretary of State for Education Lucy Powell who met apprentices who have worked on the build and heard about their experiences of being involved in the transformation of one of Liverpool’s most historically significant sites.
Founded in 1778 by Joseph Heap, Heap’s Rice Mill is one of Liverpool’s oldest surviving warehouse complexes. The building was designated Grade II-listed in 2014 and is a rare surviving reminder of the Baltic Triangle’s mercantile past.
Once complete, Heap’s Mill will comprise 527 apartments across four distinct blocks – Millers Place, Maritime View, Rice Works and The Mill, with the latter serving as the centrepiece of the development.
It is being delivered in phases, with Millers Place already completed, fully sold and occupied. Maritime View is due for completion in late 2026, while Rice Works and The Mill are scheduled for completion in 2028.
The topping out of The Mill represents a particularly significant moment in the project’s history, following the complex technical challenges involved in restoring and repurposing the structure.
This building had stood vacant for more than 25 years and had passed through five previous developers before Legacie took on the project. The structure was also heavily affected by asbestos when work began.
As both developer and contractor, Legacie has taken an integrated approach to the scheme, enabling the team to manage the complex construction requirements while working closely with Liverpool City Council’s heritage officers.
A dedicated museum space will form part of The Mill and will celebrate the history of the site, with artefacts discovered during the works to be displayed as part of the finished development.
Residents will have access to a spa and swimming pool within the vaulted brickwork basement of The Mill, a gym, rooftop terraces, a residents’ bar and café and24/7 concierge. It will also include commercial units and a newly created public walkway.
John Morley, chief executive of Legacie, said: “Heap’s Mill is a project that has presented some incredibly complex challenges, but it is also one that carries enormous historical significance for Liverpool.
“To see a building that had stood vacant for more than 25 years being brought back to life, while retaining and celebrating its heritage, is incredibly rewarding.
“It was particularly important to mark this milestone alongside the apprentices who have played a part in bringing the scheme forward.”