Hope Street plans unveiled by Maghull
Maghull Developments has submitted four separate planning applications for five of the properties it owns on Hope Street in Liverpool's Georgian Quarter.
A £100m mixed-use redevelopment is planned for Josephine Butler House, the Hahnemann Building at 42 Hope Street, 58 Hope Street, 68 Hope Street and 2 Blackburne Place.
The uses proposed include retail, leisure, boutique hotel, Grade A offices, basement car parking and apartments.
Josephine Butler House, at the junction of Hope Street and Myrtle Street, will be converted into 20,000 sq ft of ground floor retail and restaurants with 115,000 sq ft of office accommodation on the upper floors. The sixth floor will contain a 7,000 sq ft bar and restaurant with outside terrace area offering unrivalled views along Hope Street to both cathedrals and over the city. The office space is being designed to a BREEAM Excellent environmental rating standard, only the second building to have such in Liverpool.
Josephine Butler House will also provide three levels of basement car parking and a total of approximately 265 car parking spaces, offering secure off-street car parking for all four of Maghull's schemes.
The Hahnemann Building will be refurbished into a 63-bedroom five-star luxury boutique hotel with restaurant, bar and luxury day spa.
The listed buildings of 68 Hope Street and 2 Blackburne Place, will be refurbished to provide a total of 54 apartments which will be aimed specifically at the city's most affluent residents and not the investor market. Apartments will range from 600 sq ft for a one-bedroom unit to 3,600 sq ft for a three-bedroom triplex unit, complete with three outside terrace areas. Prices are expected to range from £150,000 to in excess of £1m.
Michael Hanlon, managing director of Maghull Developments, said: "The proposals provide a mix of uses which will undoubtedly enhance the vitality and viability of the city's Georgian Quarter, whilst providing a substantial boost to the local economy in terms of job creation and enhancing the city's tourism offer."
"The Georgian Quarter and Hope Street in particular is already renowned for world class architecture and proposals for a £100m investment will see some of the city's best Georgian properties refurbished to a very high standard and given a new lease of life.
"Combined with our plans for a five star boutique hotel and spa, retail, restaurants and luxury apartments, we are confident that the proposals will benefit Hope Street's existing businesses and neighbours and will reinforce its reputation as an up-market daytime and evening destination."
Maghull was appointed as preferred developer by Liverpool John Moores University in early 2006 to improve the Hope Street portfolio. JMU is relocating its art school to a new building on Brownlow Hill.
Pending planning approval, Maghull hopes to start on site during summer 2008 on a three-year construction programme. Maghull Developments recently moved its operations into 58 Hope Street in order to closely oversee each of the proposed schemes and also integrate into Hope Street's community life.
Maghull Group owns in excess of 750,000 sq ft of commercial property investment stock in Merseyside and Greater Manchester and has a current development programme with an end value in excess of £400m.
