Mann Island business campus opens

Avenue HQ, the 16,000 sq ft flexible workspace facility at 17 Mann Island on the Liverpool waterfront, opened for business today.

The new “business campus” venture was founded by Matthew Kennedy, formerly manager of co-working space Launch 22 on Tithebarn Street, and Karl Connolly, property consultant and ex-regeneration director of Cheshire West & Chester Council.

Kennedy said there had been a “strong level of interest” in the 200 workplaces and four of the six self-contained office rooms were prelet. There is a mixture of hot-desks, available on a membership basis, and dedicated workspaces for permanent users. Occupiers signed up so far include creative agency Kode Digital, construction advisor AA Projects, lawyer ELB Legal, and solar company NES.

Barclay’s Eagle Lab initiative is also taking space, providing start-ups with 3D printers and laser cutters “to support rapid prototyping for all members and access to resources including expert mentoring”. Liverpool is the eleventh Eagle Lab Barclays has opened, after success in locations such as Salford, London and Cambridge.

The overall investment in Avenue HQ was more than £1m. Avenue HQ is owned by Kennedy, Connolly and RBH, the London-based owner of the Mann Island block. Further centres are being planned in Nottingham and Manchester.

The ground and first floor space now occupied by Avenue HQ was empty since completion by Neptune Developments and residential developer Countryside in 2012. The upper floors contain 376 apartments.

The all-local project team includes fit-out firm Aztec, DAY Architectural and AA Projects. There is a ground-floor coffee shop open to the public with seating in the previously under-used covered winter garden area between the two distinctive black glazed blocks, designed by Broadway Malyan and funded by the North West Development Agency. The desk area is on the first floor together with a bar, event space and meeting rooms.

Avenue HQ is holding an open day next week, on Thursday 8 June, where you can use the facilities for free and enjoy drinks in the bar in the evening.

Matthew Kennedy, co-founder and CEO of Avenue HQ, said: “Liverpool is thriving with a booming start-up scene driven by ambitious independent business.”