Liverpool City Council acquired the 7.6-acre site at Kings Dock in September from public agency Homes England for just £1 and now wants to see it developed. Tony McDonough reports
Property consultancy CBRE is inviting bids from developers for seven plots of land on Liverpool’s waterfront.
Liverpool City Council acquired the 7.6-acre site at Kings Dock, close to the arena and convention centre, in September from public agency Homes England for just £1. The council wants to see a number of multi-million pound projects be brought forward.
It has appointed CBRE to manage the two-stage bidding process for the land, which has been broken up into seven separate plots. It offers the potential for up to 600,000 sq ft of mixed-use development.
They are seeking offers from interested parties who have proven experience and track record in delivering high quality landmark schemes, with a focus on working with the city council to deliver at pace.
The seven plots, ranging from 0.45 acres to 2.79 acres, are available with a variety of uses being considered including leisure, hotel, residential and offices. Liverpool City Council will also be looking at the quality of design in the public spaces within the dock and how it connects to surrounding parts of the city centre.
The city council has recently appointed an award-winning team of master planners to develop a Public Realm Strategy that will shape the look and feel of the city. The draft strategy will go out to public consultation next year.
Andrew Byrne, associate director at CBRE’s office agency team in Liverpool, said: “The site offers an exciting opportunity for experienced developers to deliver a mixed use landmark scheme in an excellent location on Liverpool’s iconic waterfront, close to some of the city’s most popular attractions.
“With a global perspective and exceptional economic strengths, the city is becoming increasingly attractive particularly with overseas investors who identify Liverpool as a real source of opportunity for inward investment.”
Located on the River Mersey in the heart of Liverpool’s waterfront, Kings Dock is fronted by the Pullman Hotel and the landmark ACC Liverpool Campus, comprising M&S Bank Arena, the Convention Centre and Exhibition Centre Liverpool (ECL) attracting 7.7m visitors a year.
Deadline for expressions of interest is Friday, January 24 2020.