Plans in for Port of Liverpool Building revamp

The first phase of an internal modernisation programme at the listed landmark has been put in motion by Amtrak Real Estate.

CBRE’s planning & development team is working for Amtrak on repurposing the lower two floors at the 160,000 sq ft building into flexible office space, with 23,000 sq ft set for an overhaul.

The project will include small suites and lounges at ground floor level and a mix of flexible office suites, collaboration spaces and informal meeting areas on the first floor. Spaces will range from 2,500 sq ft to 14,000 sq ft.

Beyond this initial phase, the overall project is to look at improving the food & beverage offer, along with changing and shower facilities and bike storage.

The lead architect for the project is Corstophine+Wright, working with interior designer 2M2, heritage advisor Orion, structural engineer Curtins and Hoare Lea as fire engineer.

Other CBRE teams involved in the project include project management and building consultancy, along with property and asset management teams

Avison Young and Hitchcock Wright are appointed office agents.

Simon Hepple, director of CBRE’s national building consultancy team in Liverpool, said: “Following the recent completion of our refurbishment at the Royal Liver Building, we are delighted to be instructed to undertake a truly complementary, considered and sympathetic refurbishment which will return this magnificent building into its former glory.”

The Port of Liverpool Building is grade two*-listed, and was built between 1904 and 1907. Amtrak Real Estate bought the building in 2015 for a reported £27m as Downing exited, having acquired it for around £13m in 2003 and spent £8m on refurbishment.

CBRE has also worked at various times on the other Graces, the Cunard Building, now owned and occupied by Liverpool City Council; and the Royal Liver Building, recently refurbished by owners Corestate and Everton owner Farhad Moshiri.

Ed Baverstock, director at Corstophine + Wright, said: “Attracting people back to the workplace and providing resilient and flexible space that accommodates new ways of working post the Covid-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on health and wellbeing is central to the plans and we look forward to developing this project with the team.”