Central Station scheme will create 3,000 jobs, says Merepark
THE DEVELOPERS of the £200m Central Village scheme surrounding Central Station in Liverpool have said that it could create up to 3,000 new jobs.
Altrincham-based commercial property specialist Merepark also released a new 3D animation to highlight the scale of the scheme, which will transform six acres of land behind Central Station and will include the refurbishment of the Grade II listed Lewis’s department store building.
In total, around 300,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space will be built, 80,000 sq ft of offices, 550 hotel rooms and a six-screen cinema. Operators for both the cinema (Odeon) and the hotels (Accor/Millennium & Copthorne) have already been signed up, and Merepark has already forward-sold the Lewis’s building to an investor and the 400-space car park to Q-Park.
Merepark chairman Robert Ross said: “Central Village is Liverpool’s largest regeneration scheme and the next key employment site for the city. We’re creating 1,000 construction jobs and a further 2,000 permanent positions – a very substantial boost to the local jobs market. From waiters, chefs and hospitality managers to retail staff and office workers, Central Village will create a whole host of opportunities working for some of the UK’s best leisure brands.”
Work is already underway on the scheme, which is due to complete in 2013.
“Very few developers are delivering anything of this kind in the UK right now and occupiers have responded with enthusiasm to what we’re offering, which is a positive statement about Liverpool’s future.”
Cllr Joe Anderson, leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “The jobs which will be created through the comprehensive redevelopment at Central Village are a significant boost for Liverpool at a time when it is crucial that we offer a range of employment opportunities for local people.”
Max Steinberg, chief executive of Liverpool Vision, said the improvement of the city’s retail and leisure offer would be “a catalyst for further regeneration work”.
