Building firm Bellway is planning a luxury retail and penthouse flats development close to the Paradise Street area of Liverpool.
It is based on a £100m scheme, known as the Mailbox, in Birmingham and they plan to build bars, restaurants and retailers such as Harvey Nichols. The top floors they boost will be taken up by some of the smartest addresses in the city. Bellway Homes already has a £17m luxury homes scheme underway in Liverpool's Pall Mall.
It has also just announced a £60m commercial and residential development in Speke, which will also house its new regional headquarters in relocation from Manchester.
Work could begin this October on converting remaining space in the Britannia Pavilion into a Premier Lodge budget hotel to open next summer. It seems they have realised they can cream a lot from Liverpool.
Meanwhile a £60m transformation of one of the main gateways into Liverpool is on the drawing board. A new five-star hotel and two 11-storey blocks of apartments aimed at young professionals form the centrepiece of this scheme.
The development will be one of the first sights people see when they arrive at Lime Street station instead of the currently derelict former bus station site in Skelhorne Street.
The latest plans for a prime location in the city centre comes after the government go-ahead for the £800m Grosvenor Henderson proposals for the Bluecoat and Chavasse Park areas.
The flats will be in two 11-storey blocks and aimed at both students and young professionals. Mmmm The remainder of the site will be transformed into leisure facilities, with health and fitness studios, restaurants and cafes.
A Le Meridien hotel will include 200 bedrooms, restaurants, bars and conference facilities.
The hotel chain operates 145 hotels in 55 countries around the world all of them 4/5 and 5-star accommodation.
Maple Oak hopes if the plans receive the go-ahead from Liverpool council work could start on the site in the summer.
The development is expected to be completed by 2005. Spokesman Paul Bullock said: "We believe this to be an excellent location. It is close to the station, universities and the city centre. "Research has also shown that a further hotel could be accommodated in the city."
Councillors in Liverpool today welcomed the plans. Liverpool council's executive member Cllr Richard Kemp said: "We are delighted with this news. This will deal with a real blot on the horizon. Asked whether the local population could get jobs as cleaners. He replied 'we'll see'.