Next phase of Paddington Village gains momentum

The city council aims to sell Plot 9 at the 30-acre science and technology campus to bring forward the 150,000 sq ft Hemisphere office building, while contractor Morgan Sindall is to be appointed to build a 90,000 sq ft office on Plot 5. 

While work on the first phase continues, including the construction of the 160,000 sq ft Spine office building, a 221-bedroom hotel and a 1,256-space multistorey car park, Liverpool City Council is pushing ahead with the next batch of projects at Paddington Village, part of Liverpool’s upcoming Knowledge Quarter, according to a report to cabinet. 

• Hemisphere – a 150,000 sq ft office development on plot nine of Paddington Village. The council is seeking approval from the cabinet to dispose of the site to a developer to bring the scheme forward. Preliminary foundation works have completed and, subject to funding, Hemisphere could complete in late 2023
• Plot five – The council wants to build a 90.000 sq ft, 10-storey office building with Morgan Sindall lined as lead contractor. The plot had previously been earmarked for an £8.5m diagnostics centre but the project did not progress. Construction could start next September subject to planning approval 
• No5 Paddington Village – The council plans to market plot eight for sale in spring 2021 to bring forward a 240-apartment scheme. It is expected that construction could begin in 2022. 

Elsewhere at Paddington Village, the Spine is reportedly on target to open for occupation in April 2021, while the 16-storey Novotel is due to complete 12 months later. 

The first-phase multistorey car park is scheduled to complete in time for the opening of the Spine, where the Royal College of Physicians has signed to occupy 70,000 sq ft across seven floors of the 14-storey building. 

The fit-out of the RCP floors is underway, as is work to complete an additional floor to be occupied by staff from the Clatterbridge Hospital Trust.

The Spine’s letting agent CBRE is currently in negotiations with other potential occupiers for the remaining six available floors. 

In February, an unnamed media company had selected the Spine as its preferred location for a call centre, which would have spanned four floors. However, following the Covid-19 pandemic, the company put all acquisitions on hold, according to Liverpool City Council.