Consent is in place for additional floors. Credit: marketing documwnts

Hopes raised for 60 Old Hall Street sale

Administrator FRP Advisory has instructed Fletcher Bond to find a buyer for the former Signature Living project in central Liverpool.

As it stands, the conversion project comprises 63 apartments “at varying stages of completion ” along with vacant commercial space on the ground floor and an equipped basement gym.

There is a planning consent in place to extend the scheme to 116 apartments with the addition of a four-storey rooftop extension. Best and final offers are invited before 20 June.

According to an administrator’s update report, FRP had been close to disposing of the site last year, but the interested buyer failed to meet a deadline of 31 December.

Since that time, with the agreement of secured creditor Alter Domus Trustees (UK) it has pursued a sale on the open market.

FRP engaged with a number of agents on how best to market and dispose of the site, leading to the appointment of Manchester-based Fletcher Bond. Although the secured creditor is owed £14m, FRP said that “a shortfall is anticipated”

Originally, 60 Old Hall Street had been promoted by Signature as “premier residential apartments in the heart of Liverpool’s business district,” with 115 apartments on offer.

The developer, headed by Lawrence Kenwright, had bought the site in 2015 as the Ralli House office block with the intention of converting it to residential.

The scheme was taken forward by special purpose vehicle Signature Living Residential, which was placed into administration in April 2020. LSH was appointed in September of that year to market the site, along with a further Signature project, Victoria Mill in east Manchester.

According to the 60 Old Hall Street particulars, “some of the apartments have been completed to a high standard with fitted kitchens with appliances, jacuzzi baths and feature lighting”.

Fletcher Bond added that an aparthotel would be a viable option for the scheme.

Success for the agent at Old Hall Street would reflect further progress in Liverpool’s desure to tackle stalled sites. Earlier this month, Fortis company SGL1 filed plans to finish off a former Primesite development in Fox Street, while Legacie and Nexus Residential took on Primesite’s Element the Quarter in 2021.

In April this year, HVS Hodges Ward Elliott invited offers for a 143,000 sq ft development opportunity at the Cavern Walks shopping centre, once touted as a Signature hotel development.

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Enough has been said about Signature Living , so let`s look on the bright side and trust that a sound developer picks up this project and makes it work. It`s in a great location, plenty of bustle and amenities, including the nearby ,new, high-rise Innside Hotel , so fingers crossed.

By Anonymous

Let’s trust that this stalled site completion and others are quickly resolved and the city can move on.

By Liverpolitis

Sold as seen?

If it wasn’t for the state of the city’s economy I would look forward to some institutional investor picking this up to knock it down.

Otherwise, who on earth would risk it?? I can’t help but dread that we will end up with someone equally as bad, who finishes it just as cheaply, or cheaper, and wrecks the area with a completely inappropriate use.

If ever there was a city mascot for the past 10 years, it’s this building.

By Jeff

Wow. There’s ‘hope’ for Liverpool.

By Snid

The problem with this building is that 20 of the apartments have actually been sold and completed before practical completion. How on earth does that even happen – building regs, certificate of completion, project monitor etc? So you’re buying an uncompleted building with 20 long-leaseholders to deal with… £14m is outrageous…

By John W

I remember the hoarding by signature stating ‘there once was an ugly duckling’!!! Well I think it’s well and truly died now. This has been terrible for the business district and it was lucky nobody was killed when part of the roof came off a few years back. It should have been demolished years ago as part of the St Paul’s Square development.

By Edward Dook

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