Odeon joins pre-lets at Central Village

Developer Merepark has signed Odeon to the £200m Central Village scheme between Renshaw Street and Bold Street for a second cinema in Liverpool city centre.

Odeon will operate a six-screen cinema at the development, where work has started on the initial phases including the redevelopment of the Lewis's building and a new multi-storey car park behind Central Station.

The 25,000 sq ft Odeon cinema will be located in the lower floors of one of the residential buildings in a new public square between Liverpool Central station and the Lewis's building.

Bob Ross, chairman of Cheshire-based Merepark, said: "We're currently one of the few tower cranes on the horizon but our progress shows that Liverpool can continue to press forward, even in a tough commercial market.

"Merepark has successfully forward-sold the Lewis's building element of the scheme as well as the multi-storey car park and we have the funding in place to develop a beautiful new plaza by Central Station. Very few developers are delivering anything of this kind in the UK right now and occupiers have responded with enthusiasm to what we're offering, which is a positive statement about Liverpool's future."

Ross said Merepark is in advanced talks with a number of retail and leisure occupiers and expects further lettings to be announced soon.

"The site is in a great city centre location, we haven't let up and it's paying off. People now appreciate the huge gains in Liverpool in recent years and the quality of our offer will ensure that any restaurateur or retailer not represented here can find the sort of quality home they rightly demand," said Ross.

In addition to Odeon, the scheme has already attracted pre-lets from Accor, Q-Park, Network Rail and Millennium & Copthorne.

Savills is advising Merepark at Central Village.