Agents named to advise on transformation of iconic city centre building

Agents have been appointed to advise on the marketing and leasing of one of Liverpool’s most iconic buildings.

Kinrise and Karrev, the partnership behind the transformation of Martins Bank Building in Water Street, have appointed Avison Young on a joint agency basis, alongside CBRE.

Transformation and refurbishment works have now commenced at the site, in the heart of the city’s commercial quarter.

Kinrise and Karrev are completely transforming the building through a significant, but sensitive, refurbishment and remodelling to deliver a multi-use fit-out, including work, social and restaurant spaces.

The project will be one of the largest refurbishment projects in the city region for more than a decade. The building which is located next to to Liverpool Town Hall, will deliver 95,000 sq ft of Grade A office space with floorplates of up to 17,500 sq ft.

Repurposed for the ‘new worker’, Martins Bank Building will provide workspaces for businesses of all sizes from single desks to mid-sized studios and larger HQ areas for established companies and occupiers.

The building will also offer state-of-the-art leisure and wellbeing amenities, such as an all-day restaurant, a concierge front-of-house team, coffee shop, breakout and collaboration space and an open wellness centre with fitness classes and bicycle storage.

The transformation project has sustainability front and centre of the scheme. By working with the building’s original fabric, the renovation will avoid significant amounts of CO2 release, landfill waste and consumption of resources, factors associated with the construction of newbuilds.

Martins will also run off 100% green electricity including LED lighting and VRF air conditioning. By issuing green leases, Kinrise and Karrev will be able to work with its future tenants to continually explore ways to continue to reduce energy, water and waste.

Ian Steele, principal at Avison Young, said: “Martins is putting the needs of the ‘new worker’ at the heart of the refurbishment project, offering more than just a standard workspace and the intention is to deliver best in class office space with a focus on ESG Credentials.

“The project has been designed to future-proof the workplace and create a place for Liverpool’s culture, community and commerce.”

Kinrise and Karrev said: “Work is well under way to bring our bold vision for this extraordinary space to life.

“We have been blown away by the public’s love for Martins and the business community’s response to our plans of creating an unequalled workspace experience within this iconic building.

“We look forward to opening our doors in Q4, 2024 and fostering an environment that reflects Liverpool’s unique culture, community and ambition. It will be like no other space in town.”

The site was acquired, for an undisclosed sum, by London-based hybrid workspace provider Kinrise in August 2021.

The building, which was the site of former Liverpool bank, Martins, before its takeover by Barclays, was used to store the Bank of England’s gold reserves at the onset of the Second World War.