If permission is given, work will start on site within weeks, the developer says. Contractor for the first phase is PHD1 Construction.
The plans for New Chinatown go before Liverpool City Council’s planning committee next week. The hybrid application is seeking detailed consent for the first phase of the project on Great George Street, and outline consent for the second and third phases.
The application follows selection of North Point Global as preferred developers for the site in June 2015 by Liverpool City Council and former site owner Urban Splash.
The New Chinatown project has been identified by the government as one of the key projects within the Northern Powerhouse initiative. The scheme is fully funded and is being backed by both North Point’s established Chinese investment partners and the UKTI’s Regeneration Investment Organisation.
The development aims to create ‘a new kind of Chinatown’ and create a hub for Chinese businesses and retailers looking for a foothold in the UK. Lead architect for the scheme, Antonio Garcia for BLOK Architecture explained: “From the beginning we have had a vision for an essentially Chinese development that will breathe new life and vibrancy into an historic but recently declining area. The Chinese theme has informed our design philosophy, the mix of uses and in particular the new retail and commercial core that will become a major new destination within the city.”
North Point Global chair Peter McInnes said: “This has been an incredibly intensive process to deliver planning on a project of this scale in such a short time period, but it underscores the importance of the project to the city and the mayor’s determination to progress a key strategic site. Hopefully planning will be approved next week and we can really start to deliver something exceptional.”
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