Home Bargains billionaire Tom Morris buys more land as part of his project to create a spectacular cluster of skyscrapers close to Liverpool waterfront. Tony McDonough reports
Plans to create a cluster of skyscrapers close to Liverpool waterfront have moved a step forward after Home Bargains billionaire Tom Morris acquired more land.
Through his KEIE vehicle, Mr Morris is teaming up with established residential developer Beetham to build a number of high rise towers on the site currently occupied by the King Edward Industrial Estate.
In March LBN exclusively reported that Peel Group, owner of the King Edward Triangle industrial estate next to Princes Dock, had agreed a deal with an investor that would see multiple residential towers built on the site.
In early April that investor was revealed as KEIE. It is partnering with Beetham, which has already developed two residential towers in Liverpool, on a plan to build a new cluster of skyscrapers on the site which is within Liverpool Waters.
KEIE has revealed plans to build a 35-storey tower on one plot of the eight-acre site and LBN understands other towers are likely to go even higher. Tallest tower in Liverpool is currently the 40-storey Beetham Tower just a few yards away across The Strand.
On Monday KEIE announced it had acquired an engineering works in Paisley Street, adjacent to the King Edward Estate, from owner PMR Engineering Services.
PMR has been winding down its business for some while and has agreed to vacate the premises within 18 months whilst the scheme’s wider master-planning continues.
“This is a key piece in our site assembly, paving the way for our wider masterplan,” said Beetham chairman Hugh Frost. “The market is naturally very excited about our plans and we’ll be revealing more in due course.
“For now, we are focused on consolidating our position with a number of leaseholders and dealing with the challenges of deciding on scale, massing and building uses across the proposed redevelopment.”
This latest site, known as the Empress Works, runs for most of the length of Paisley Street and largely comprises two-storey brick-built 19th century workshops under gable roofs.
Hugh added: ““The site book-ends the scheme and will be a key gateway as much as an expression of our ambitions. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes since our last announcement and are looking forward to sharing further detail in due course.”
Luke Taylor from Brabners acted for TJ Morris (owner of Home Bargains of which KEIE is a subsidiary) on the acquisition, with Ian Millington of HM3 Law acting for the vendor.