Elliot picks Vermont for first phase of £250m Infinity
Elliot Group’s £250m, three-tower Infinity project in Liverpool will start on site in September after the developer picked Vermont to deliver the first phase of the scheme.
The developer secured planning consent for the project on Pall Mall and Leeds Street, which is the single largest housing scheme planned in the city centre, in April 2017.
Designed by architect Falconer Chester Hall, the largest of the towers reaches 39 storeys, with the other two reaching 33 and 27 storeys respectively.
Elliot shortlisted two contractors – Forrest and Vermont – for the scheme in February this year, as first revealed by Place North West, and the developer has now chosen Vermont to deliver the first tower, which reaches 39 storeys.
This will feature 416 homes in total, split between eight three-bedroom flats; 172 two bedrooms; 144 one bedrooms; and 92 studio apartments.
Clearance work on the site started in April, and Vermont is planning to start on site in September with completion pencilled in for spring 2020. Alongside FCH, the professional team on the project also includes Savills as employer’s agent and WSP as structural engineer.
Elliot Group’s director Elliot Lawless said 70% of the apartments had been sold to UK or overseas investors, setting a new price record for the city at £398/sq ft.
“The Cargo Building raised the bar as far as achievable rents in Liverpool were concerned,” he said. “It demonstrated that if the quality of the product is there the market will pay for it and it’s helped us demonstrate to investors that there’s the appetite for better specified homes.
“By setting a new price record it will support the viability of other developments and support the emerging cluster of towers in the north end.”
Commenting on Vermont’s appointment, he added: “We looked at Vermont’s track record building towers in Liverpool and Salford Quays and it was clear that they had a firm grip on the issues posed by going tall.
“It’s good to be able to maintain our track record of working with a strong local supply chain. Building capacity in the sector will benefit the city overall.”
Mark Connor, chief executive of Liverpool-based Vermont, said: “We are delighted to be working with Elliot Group to deliver this landmark building which we believe will set a new benchmark for residential accommodation within the city.
“Vermont are proud to have been at the forefront of regeneration in the city over recent years and the Infinity scheme is a further statement of Liverpool’s progression and investors’ confidence in the city’s residential market.”
Other projects Vermont is delivering include Manchester Waters on Pomona Island for developer X1; and X1 The Tower, a 24-storey block situated at the junction of Sefton Street and Upper Parliament Street in Liverpool.
Elliot Group had previously picked Forrest to deliver its £100m Aura development on Erskine Street, which features 1,000 student flats. The contractor is also delivering The Residence, the developer’s 34-storey PRS tower in Greengate, Salford.
