Romal teams up with Maro to drive forward Liverpool docklands resi
Greg Malouf’s development company Romal Capital is working with the landowner to bring forward the long-awaited residential redevelopment of Brunswick Quay, a site that was once the subject of plans for a 50-storey glass tower.
Romal Capital, which recently won a lucrative court case against Peel Waters, is progressing fresh plans for a residential project on Liverpool’s waterfront after Maro secured consent for a similar scheme in 2020.
Located at Brunswick Quay at Liverpool’s south docks, the Romal’s 560-home proposal would feature a farmers’ market, envisaged as a “unique community marketplace celebrating Liverpool’s maritime and trading heritage”, according to Romal.
A masterplan for the four-acre site also includes cafés and leisure spaces, a gym and health centre, as well as landscaped gardens, and public access to the dock waters.
“These undertakings are challenging but deeply rewarding,” said Greg Malouf, chief executive of Romal Capital.
“To bring a dock that helped build Britain’s global trade story back to life—and to create beautiful new homes along one of the country’s finest waterfronts—is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We’re incredibly proud to play our part in Liverpool’s continuing renaissance.”
The site’s redevelopment has been in the works for 20 years. Credit: via Flashbulb
He added: “This is the final major southern dock to be redeveloped, and our vision is to turn a long-neglected site into a thriving neighbourhood that the public can truly enjoy. Brunswick Dock will reconnect people with the water and with Liverpool’s maritime identity.”
Footprint is leading on design and Pegasus is on planning.
The site is owned by Maro Developments and has been the subject of two previous development proposals.
The first, a 50-storey glass tower designed by Ian Simpson, was scrapped after the government ruled it would undermine the city’s World Heritage Status, which has since been rescinded by UNESCO.
A later application for 552 apartments across four mid-rise buildings was approved by the city council in 2020 but never progressed.
Romal became involved in the site last year, adding to its Liverpool holdings, which include sites at Waterloo and Central Docks where almost 600 homes are complete or under construction.
Best news on PNW Liverpool thread for some time, a great opportunity for a new neighbourhood, Brunswick Station on it’s doorstep, and even an opportunity for a ferry stop with the addition of a wooden jetty.
By Anonymous
There will be a lot of people upset that a site went from a landmark 50 storey tower to these, but I think these are far more befitting of the waterfront in this area (providing the materials are top quality) – far better that the skyline is concentrated to the Liverpool Waters side, these are prominent enough for their patch.
By Anonymous
Very welcome news in desert of developments in LCR.
Best of luck to Romal showing real commitment to the City.
By Liverpool4Progess
I wish them well
By Anonymous
Low key and nothing too fancy
By Anonymous
Hate to say it, but they look like 90s student halls. This location should have plenty of windows so residents can enjoy river and dock views and decent sized balconies. What’s going on with those top three floors? This location deserves better, please redesign asap and why not incorporate at least one tower? utterly disappointing.
By GetItBuilt!
Romal is a top developer, We are lucky to have them involved in Liverpool! Great news! 👏👏
By Anonymous
Agree anon these are the right scale for the location, 50+ towers will be better suited to other areas down town. Nice to see some balconies too…
By L17
Definately keep Talls to discrete areas….so that the bay etc can be viewed from these Talls and not obscured. Nice to be able to see the sky too occasionally
By Anonymous
Oh dear – regen is good, but tiny windows and look like student flats. Very basic. Liverpool deserves better!
By Missed Opp
Making Liverpool’s waterfront mediocre, one development at a time
By MJC
Banal biscuit boxes. The UK is being polluted by this kind of cheap rubbish. I wish they would do away with the orange and white facades that hark back to the 90s. Very depressing indeed. Liverpool deserves alot better.
By Anonymous
If they can link this up with the cycle route into Liverpool and create a new walkable neighbourhood with everything you need from a supermarket to cafes and childcare and health services, then this could be the model for development along the waterfront. Why Peel have waiting 20 years to do anything in Northern Docks seems a scandal to me. Were they simply waiting for Everton to build their stadium and £55m from the Govt?
By Anonymous
Have to say that those building are pretty tawdry. Could be 20 year old in design terms. It’s prime piece of waterfront. Where’s the imagination? Have alook along the road at Hartley Locks designed by Tim Groom Architects. That’s how you do it!
By Baltic Boy
Wasted opportunity other cities would make more of this waterfront than out leaders can – Labour out.
By Anonymous
so we know when the next Romal v Peel case is in regard to utilities it was mentioned on PNW there were 2 cases?
By Anon
Shocking. Imagine this being built on a prime waterside site in any other maritime city. Very uninspiring. Liverpool deserves much better than this. The new development in Birkenhead docks is far better. Look to Antwerp riverside architecture to see what could be built. Very second rate, unfortunately it looks as bad as the new development north of the city by the Isle of Man terminal. Cheap ! I do hope they reconsider and go for something much better.
By Steve Davis.
Grand Central Halls on the waterfront. I really hope it looks better in real life, but I won’t hold my breath. Waterfront development with post box size windows, I would prefer a mini remake of the buildings in Wirral waters.
By Nath
Farmers market at the docks? Not many farmers down that way. Will they be bring the livestock in on foot?
By A. N. On
It has all the design of a 60 s power station.
Ugly and inappropriate for a major site .
By Paul lafferty
A case of what could have been. Everything about the refusal of the stunning Brunswick Tower proposal stinks. How an MP from GM had the final say/decision on that development is beyond a joke and her reasons for refusing it was disgraceful. Using heritage issues when the main heritage site(Pier Head) is roughly 2 miles away is laughable. Just another outside interference to stop Liverpool progressing. Regarding this current proposal, I’d much rather see 2 tallish towers on a smaller footprint. I think something similar to The Lexington Tower with a similar looking tower beside it would look quite smart and give a great impression to visitors approaching the city from the south. Maybe 2 towers of around 30 and 25 storeys or thereabouts would look much better. I don’t buy into this nonsense that tall towers would look out of place in this area. It’s about time Liverpool started reintroducing towers outside the city centre. The amount of high rise that’s disappeared over the region is shameful. Too many people with small village mindsets. Think big , think ambitious. Could learn a lot from the 2 city’s just down the road.
By Anonymous
Not a scheme that’s going to be winning design awards any time soon. What a pity, as it’s a cracking location.
By Anonymous
What a wasted design opportunity! 1980’s architecture; budget buildings on on an important nodal site at the main and now only entry point to the historical southern docks. Can’the council second its planners to manchester for a while to learn how to
to understand how to give one of the most famous waterfronts in the world the bold and imaginative architecture our city deserves. Or just swap personnel?
By Anonymous
I presume the application has a robust s.106 for traffic management improvements into Sefton st. Thats a lot of potential extra vehicle movements and parking required .
By Tony perkins
Is this really the best we can expect? Mediocre student accommodation, off the peg design, boxy windows, uninspiring colour scheme. This is supposed to be a world class waterfront. A prime location deserves prime vision.
By L19
The photos make the space available for development appear very large when in reality it’s quite small. It’s going to be a tight squeeze with little space between the blocks. It’s also out of kilter with the existing low rise buildings around Brunswick Dock.
By Anonymous
Why can Manchester build about 40 high rise buildings over 20 stories some 60 odd stories high in 10 years and does hardly anything at all very disappointed by what’s going on in Liverpool china town land there has been derelict land for about 12 years its just a joke how do they get away with it the council needs to get grip of themselves and you wonder why rent on apartments are so high
By Paul langcake
The city can and should aim higher. Romal’s previous waterfront developments are mediocre and fail to set an aspirational standard.
By Anonymous
How many years has this site been empty? Where are the queues of developers wanting to build on this space? Do most people really believe that Liverpool City Council will allow 25-30 storey blocks in this location. Romal are putting forward a scheme similar to the Maro one 5 years ago, they have proved a reliable developer in Liverpool even though in the past they’ve been badly messed around by the council and Peel. Every development in Liverpool has it’s critics and this is no different but in no way is this a poor proposal, and I say we cannot afford to be missing out on projects like this.
By Anonymous
Good luck
hahah
By Anonymous
Romal are a one trick pony
By George
I like it. Get it built!
By Anonymous
First Remove the Plastic Grey Sheds on Top
By John Lynn
LCC and Mr CGI it will never happen Rotheram constantly go on about our world famous water front yet schemes like this which are seriously underwhelming are allowed. These riverfront opportunities should be given special status as they are unique and deserve much better than this turgid example. Agree with the sentiment of the majority this design could be from 20 years ago , can we not improve on this ? look at similar European water front they are so much better. The city is accepting average to its detriment .
By Paul - Woolton
Can somebody explain to me how lego / stickle brick inspired architecture, whose sole motive is driven by profit, is going to ‘reconnect people with the water’ ??
Another missed opportunity to enhance, pay homage and compliment to the city’s naval heritage
The building is reminiscent of 1970’s soviet tenement housing, it looks cheap, there is zero reference to the waterfront ?
if the developers are so keen to reconnect people with the water, the why not continue in the style of Navigation Wharf or Sth Ferry Quay ?
By Alan Taylor