The ECHO has taken a look at five vital property developments that will take shape in Liverpool in 2023 and help propel the city into the future.
Liverpool is awash with exciting developments that are transforming the city into a forward-looking destination and an ideal place to live and work.
Major projects have moved forward in 2022, with work being carried out on a landmark new waterfront stadium that will be home to Everton FC . Hotels and apartment buildings also sprung up across our famous skyline.
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However, there have been some setbacks. The £70m plan to breathe new life into the iconic Littlewood's building by creating a major TV and film complex suffered a blow after key partner Liverpool John Moores University pulled out .
The ECHO has pulled together the top five projects that are set to shape the city's development in 2023 and beyond.
Festival Gardens
The search for a developer for the crucial and long awaited housing scheme on the prime 22-acre waterfront plot is set to kick off in early 2023 .
It is hoped the search will be fruitful; Liverpool City Council previously entered into an exclusivity agreement with development firm Ion, but it expired in March 2021. As part of the latest procurement process, bids will be invited for the site which could comprise 1,500 homes. Work is predicted to start in 2025 subject to approval.
The former landfill site once formed part of the International Garden Festival celebrations launched by Queen Elizabeth II in 1984 and has lain vacant for decades.
Bramley Moore Stadium
Everton's new home will be the latest jewel in the crown of the city's world famous waterfront. The progress on site has continued at pace throughout 2022 , with the Toffees getting to work for more than a year.
Bramley Moore will have a capacity of 52,000 once complete and will also feature 'ALL', which will bring together the bars, restaurants and experiences that will be available at the venue. The club has painstakingly consulted with fans throughout the design process and the stadium is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024/25 season, meaning the bulk of the work will take place throughout 2023.
Colin Chong, chief stadium development officer for Bramley Moore told the ECHO the site has changed from a "semi-derelict" dock into the "skeleton" of a magnificent stadium in a little over a year. He added: "This stadium is going to be the first and last significant building people see when they cruise down the River Mersey and, in my view it’s worthy of being our city’s Fourth Grace.
"Of course, the work does not stop once Everton Stadium is built. We owe it to every supporter to leave Goodison Park with the dignity and respect it deserves. We want to leave a lasting community-led legacy development that will directly benefit local people and our city region."
The Isle of Man Ferry Terminal
The Isle of Man Ferry Terminal forms part of Liverpool Waters, a 30-year vision shaping the redevelopment of the city's Princes Docks, King Edward Triangle, Central Docks, Clarence Docks and Northern Docks. Once fully complete, Liverpool Waters will offer two million sq ft of residential, business and leisure space across five new neighbourhoods.
Plans for the new ferry terminal were initially approved in 2019 and work was carried out throughout 2022 , with an opening estimated for next June.
It is the only development project the Isle of Man government has undertaken outside of the island and is estimated to have pumped £70m into the development.
Speaking earlier this year, Alfred Cannan, chief minister for the Isle of Man government said: "The Isle of Man and Liverpool share a long history and strong relationship stretching back centuries, and our ferry terminal project will only serve to cement this further."
Upper Central
This new area of the city centre has the potential to create 2.5 million sq ft of space and thousands of jobs over the space of ten years. It spans 56 acres, nestled between Mount Pleasant, Copperas Hill and Lime Street Station . The vision for Upper Central was first revealed in 2019 .
It was earmarked as a "key" gateway to the city's Knowledge Quarter, providing commercial space for tech and digital businesses, along with suggestions that a 'Times Square-style' public space could be created outside the Adelphi Hotel.
Proposals to establish the district moved forward in March 2022 after the council carried out a public consultation , paving the way for the next stage of the masterplan and further development in 2023.
Paddington Village
The £1bn science and technology urban village with science, technology, health and education at its heart. Once complete, the new neighbourhood will be a place to live, work and socialise.
The village is being delivered in three phases, the first of which is Paddington Central. In 2022 alone, the 16-storey Novotel opened its doors, while plans were also revealed for the first net-zero building in Liverpool with space for 1,250 workers. The eight-storey office development is earmarked for a site next to The Spine.
Moving into 2023, work is set to begin on futuristic office building HEMISPHERE, a seven-storey structure that will provide 120,000 sq ft of space. Plans are also in the pipeline for the remaining plots.
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