Levelling Up Minister Michael Gove unveils £31m investment package for Liverpool which includes £13m towards cost of the £60m HEMISPHERE One office scheme. Tony McDonough reports
A plan to build a second office and laboratory development in the Liverpool Knowledge Quarter is being backed with £13m from the Government.
On Friday, Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, announced a £31m funding package to support regeneration projects in Liverpool and the money will be spent in three areas.
They are £13m for the £60m HEMISPHERE One, a new eight-storey office and laboratory building, £13m to acquire sites for phase two of Paddington Village in the Knowledge Quarter, and £5m on an upgrade of Great Homer Street Market in Everton.
Located in Paddington Village on the former site of Archbishop Blanch School, HEMISPHERE One will be adjacent to The Spine, a 155,000 sq ft office building that opened in May 2021.
All of The Spine’s accommodation was designated as office space. Around 70,000 ft was taken by the Royal College of Physicians.
In contrast the 115,000 sq ft HEMISPHERE One will be home to around 50,000 sq ft of data, bio and innovation laboratories. Sciontec also claims it will offer Liverpool city region’s first net zero carbon workspaces.
It will be delivered by Sciontec, which is a partnership between Liverpool City Council, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University, and Bruntwood SciTech. Construction is set to begin in early 2025 and complete by early 2027.
Phase two of Paddington Village will see the acquisition of new sites, such as Smithdown Lane Police Station as well as remediation work.
Liverpool Council leader, Liam Robinson, said: “This investment will help to accelerate the city’s future as a world-leading science and innovation hub.
“This funding is also a huge vote of confidence in our vision to be one of Europe’s leading centres for research and development in the life-sciences.
“HEMISPHERE One is going to be a fantastic asset to the city, creating much-needed lab-based jobs for decades to come.
“The other tranche of funding will ensure we can develop the second phase of Paddington Village and enhance the city’s overall appeal to attract further investment and more jobs.”
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It is hoped the cash injection for Great Homer Street Market will attract more traders and act as a catalyst for further regeneration in north Liverpool.
Mr Gove added: “We know there is immense potential for urban regeneration in Liverpool and the wider city region. That is why the vision set out in the Liverpool Strategic Futures Advisory Panel report is so important. And that’s why we are backing it today.”
This new money has been welcomed by Liverpool Chamber of Commerce chief executive Paul Cherpeau. He told LBN: “