Demolition of 169,000 sq ft shopping centre in a Liverpool city region town centre is set to go ahead as local council awards £7.5m contract for the job. Tony McDonough reports
VINCI Building will demolish a 169,000 sq ft shopping centre in St Helens as part of the £90m transformation of the town centre.
St Helens Council has awarded the £7.5m contract for the demolition of the Hardshaw Centre to VINCI as part of the first phase of the project. It will press ahead with stripping out the interior before dismantling the roof, floors and exterior walls.
This building is located on a plot set between Church Square, Hall Street and Bickerstaffe Street. Over the past few weeks VINCI’s team has been completing site investigations ahead of the demolition activity.
The enabling works package also includes the establishment of perimeter hoardings and ground clearance down to a depth of 2.5 metres in preparation for the construction phase.
{reparatory works will ultimately set the stage for construction of a new market hall flanked by a mixed-use area set around a 120-bedroom Hampton By Hilton hotel, 64 new homes and 11,000 sq ft modern retail space and public spaces.
This contractual agreement is between St Helens Council, its regeneration partner ECF – a joint venture between Homes England, Muse and Legal & General – and VINCI Building.
READ MORE: Liverpool skyscraper set to exceed 50 storeys
READ MORE: Liverpool seeks views on 15-year growth strategy
Cllr Richard McCauley Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth & Regeneration at St Helens Borough Council, said: “This is going to be one of the most important years in the recent history of St Helens, paving the way for lots of positive change.
“We are delighted to be progressing our exciting regeneration plans by activating this element of the first phase contract with VINCI Building.
“There are lots of technical challenges when it comes to removing a large, landmark site like the Hardshaw Centre but our vision of restoring the town centre to its former glory and making it an attractive place for residents and visitors.”
“The entire town centre regeneration project has a focus on sustainability and these principles are being applied to the demolition of the Hardshaw Centre.”
