Developer Iliad is proposing to build a £30m hotel in Liverpool City centre that will see the demolition of a 1950s office building, a plan that has met with local opposition. Tony McDonough reports

A new hotel is planned for Liverpool’s Ropewalks district costing £30m and creating more than 100 new permanent jobs.

Liverpool developer Iliad is partnering with national hotel operator Room 2 on the proposed 190-bed hotel which will be located on a current car park space between Duke Street and Parr Street.

It will also see the demolition of a 1950s office building which in recent times was the base for performing arts academy LMA. That decision has provoked some local opposition with a petition against the demolition.

The hotel is being designed by  Tim Groom Architects and will include a lounge, gym, co-working and dining facilities, ground floor  commercial space and 38 short-stay car parking spaces. Iliad has developed a number of schemes in the Ropewalks district over the past 30 years, including Elysian Fields, East Village and The Eight Building.

In a statement, the company said: “The design of this building is we believe something very special, and will enhance considerable the built environment on Duke Street, creating shop frontage and replacing a bland wall, and mock Victorian 1958 frontage warehouse.

“Iliad has a long track record of developing in Liverpool, particularly in this community, so we are keen to build something that people can be proud of. We are confident of achieving this and will, as we always do, engage the local stakeholders to keep them informed as we progress.”