Uni of Liverpool plans £111m Paddington South facility
The university is forging ahead with proposals for a purpose-built, 100,000 sq ft chemical science building within the next phase of the Knowledge Quarter.
The University of Liverpool has confirmed to Place North West that plans to locate its Artificial Intelligence Materials Hub for Innovation, or AIM-HI, within Sciontec’s Hemisphere Two – a 100,000 sq ft labs building – had been pulled.
Instead, AIM-HI will now be situated within a different, 100,000 sq ft university facility due to complete in 2031, it has been confirmed.
The scheme is the first building proposed at Paddington South, which incorporates land that previously accommodated the Smithdown Police Station and is earmarked as the site of the next phase of development within the 450-acre Knowledge Quarter.
Liverpool City Council owns this site and has cleared the former police station to pave the way for future development. The city council has been working on a masterplan for the site in partnership with the university, which said earlier this year the nine-acre site offered “exciting” opportunities for development.
A change of tack
In March, it was announced that AIM-HI was the first organisation to commit to Hemisphere Two – one of two yet-to-be built lab/office buildings at Paddington Village, part of Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter.
University of Liverpool vice-chancellor Tim Jones reaffirmed its commitment to AIM-HI at an event marking the launch of the institution’s 2040 strategy this week, where he teased plans for the chemical sciences building at Paddington South.
“This is a bold and forward-looking initiative to unlock the full potential of AI in advanced materials discovery,” he said.
“The University of Liverpool is a global leader in AI-driven materials research and industry collaboration, as demonstrated by the success of the Materials Innovation Factory.”
AIM-HI could lead to the creation of “900 high-value jobs across the UK and generate more than £400m GVA”, according to the university’s estimates
Jones added: “AIM-HI represents the next step in our mission to accelerate materials science innovation, drive regional and national economic growth, and support the UK’s transition to net zero. We are determined to put Liverpool – and the UK – at the forefront of the global AI revolution in materials discovery.”
The chemical sciences facility at Paddington South is not the only large-scale development the university is planning. A £550m health innovation campus is planned on the site of the former Royal Hospital.
At Paddington Village, where The Spine, a hotel, and a multistorey car park have been delivered so far, Sciontec remains committed to delivering on its Hemisphere plans.
The city council is also in talks with the affordable housing partnership Habiko, comprising Muse, Homes England, and Pension Insurance Corporation, about delivering roughly 300 homes there, as first reported by Place North West.
Good to see Uni of Liverpool cracking on. However, even more reason to be concerned about Sciontec now. Feels like these Hemisphere projects could collapse at this stage.
By Anonymous
I echo [email protected] comments.
Hemisphere 1 should have been started by now just what the ” Dickens” is going on with Sciontec, LCC and LCRA, they appear to be not fit for purpose, last time I checked Hemisphere appeared to be lacking about £60 million in funding.
Can anyone confirm this?
By Liverpolitis
Groan. Here we go, LCC falling to execute another promised development. Again!!!
By Roy
The University is one of our greatest assets and a driving force in the local economy.
Paddington South will benefit greatly from this and lead to more development in that location which can include residential. There are great swathes of land nearby not least the land on the former Rapid Hardware site which is badly underused at the moment and which is capable of taking a large, mixed tenure, high density, development stretching down to Edge Hill Station, which would be great as a commuting hub to get into or from Liverpool, and with some proper, joined-up thinking here could provide great benefits.
By Anonymous
In Paddington area today and had a pint later
In the Belvedere. Pleasant area and nice to be able to see the sky and cathedrals etc amongst new builds.
Talls in Liverpool have a place in the north and by the river. Don’t spoil it for tall envy and egos.
By Anonymous
Looking at the progress of hemisphere 1 (announced 4 yeads ago) and 2 I won’t hold my breath for this one either.
By Anonymous
More shadow than substance as per usual
By Dino Carlucci
Why is it its always plans, plans and more plans with Liverpool nothing seems to get built for years .. other cities in the UK just get on with it Manchester in particular don’t seem to have the long drawn out planning department that Liverpool does this bunch of clowns literally seem to believe all they are just a planning department ,I wish the university the best of luck with their proposal ,no doubt the planning department will slow things down
By Wardy
Teased, pulled, these words always seem to be linked to LCC planning department. Oh and scrapped.
By Anonymous
I thought the University was broke? The math ain’t mathin’
By G.Lee