Liverpool hotel project stalls as developer goes under
The developer behind plans to convert the former John Lewis store in the historic George Henry Lee building in Liverpool city centre has been placed into receivership.
Landlab Development Ltd, controlled by Victor Alfa of Mossley Hill, Liverpool, has been placed in the hands of receivers at Antony Batty & Co.
According to the official appointment notice the receivership was obtained by AIEF Assetstone of Wilmington Delaware, advised by law firm Gunnercooke in Manchester.
The receivership relates to leasehold land in Basnett Street between Church Street and Williamson Square.
Landlab Development obtained planning consent in October for a 175-bed Mama Shelter hotel, part of the Accor suite of brands. Roman Sumner was the planning adviser.
The building was occupied by John Lewis before it moved to Liverpool One 15 years ago. The site was then home to local retailer Rapid Hardware for several years before its demise. Much of the building is now vacant.
All parties have been contacted.
Lets make the headline as negative as possible
By Anonymous
Will be resolved soon beautiful building
By Anonymous
Disappointing news for a key landmark building in the city centre , thankfully we are seeing far less of the questionable developers going into receivership leaving the city with the blight of stalled sites.
By Paul
Looked a bit suspect from the start and as the months dragged on with no activity it became obvious there was a problem. This fine building shouldn’t be laying empty in the middle of town, hopefully this project can be resurrected as Mama Shelter are on board. A similar thing happened on Renshaw St where Hilton Garden was a goer till that developer went bust.
By Anonymous
This was a previously unknown developer, with no track record of delivering schemes like this, wasn’t it? Hopefully Liverpool will start to attract more serious players now issues at the Cunard are being resolved.
By Rotringer
This is a troubled development….when you think that the M and S store opposite will be occupied this Autumn….makes you wonder of GHLee ‘s old home will ever be taken up
By Tercol
Make no mistake the city is still struggling to attract quality investment. No current office development on site the city is still in a bad way.
By Anonymous
Anyone with half a planning brain couldcsee 10 years ago this project proposal was ridiculously ambitious and was going to fail
Meanwhile this nonsense was not without its negative knock on effects for a once iconic beautiful Livrrpool building abd end of nearby Renshaw street busineses. Like with now dereliction. Wonder if Penny lane roundabout will go the same way. Did the ex Cimmisioners find anything useful out on these matters or was it all about the bullying.
By w jones
You would question how Accor, a multinational brand, would involve themselves in negotiations with someone with little background or reputation in this kind of development, surely they would carry out there own due diligence. This area of the city centre does not look good even though it`s less than 100 metres from the main shopping street, it connects with Willamson Square which is architecturally poor and underachieving, while across the road the Queens Square area opposite the Royal Court Theatre now has a number of empty units , including the classic Pearl Insurance building which was meant to be a hotel.
By Anonymous
At least they got rid of Poundland
By Pete