Developer and hotel operator Signature Living is to create the hotel in a Grade II-listed building on Victoria Street in Liverpool city centre opposite its existing Shankly Hotel. Tony McDonough reports
Signature Living says its £10m Dixie Dean hotel in Liverpool city centre will be open by the end of the coming summer, creating 150 jobs.
The developer and hotel operator says it is about to start work on the Victoria Street scheme which is opposite its existing Shankly Hotel.
Named after Everton FC striking legend, William Ralph “Dixie” Dean, the 100-bedroom hotel will offer restaurants, bars and an events space for weddings as well as memorabilia dedicated to the player’s career.
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Signature chairman Lawrence Kenwright also says he has identified a new home for a 30-strong community of artists, musicians and creatives currently resident in the Grade II-listed Gothic Jerome and Carlisle buildings.
Under the umbrella of charity Creative Space Team, which itself tried to buy the building from previous owner Urban Splash, the group has been allowed to stay in the building rent-free since Signature’s purchase last year.
Signature has agreed to rehouse the charity in a unit its owns in Cotton Street in the northern docklands, part of the city council’s planned 10 Streets development.
The hotel will create the first ever football quarter for the city and one of the first in the UK to have two hotels solely dedicated to the history of its home football teams. The project has also been fully supported by Dean’s family including his daughter Barbara Dean and his granddaughter Melanie Prentice.
Signature Living has also confirmed that it plans to seek permission from the council to pedestrianise the area and create a tree lined boulevard of statues in honour to both Everton and Liverpool footballing greats and will also seek permission to rename the area “Stanley Park Avenue”.
Mr Kenwright said: “We are absolutely delighted that we can now start work on building the Dixie Dean hotel and our vision of an iconic football quarter for Liverpool is another step nearer. Liverpool is steeped in footballing history, it’s within the DNA of our great city and our people.
“This will be an amazing tribute to our great football teams that their history and legacy lives on when people come to visit our great city. Both Bill Shankly and Dixie Dean were the greatest of friends, despite representing rival football teams.
“What is truly fitting is that their legacy, the spirit of friendship, as well as their great service to the game of football and the city of Liverpool will live on and be immortalised.”