Shops centre back on trackA new £70m shopping centre at the heart of Liverpool city centre
is finally going ahead.
The future of the Met Quarter in Whitechapel ‘ on the site of the
former main post office ‘ has been a major headache for the council
for years. But now the Walton Group, which owned the site since the mid-80s
has sold the development for an undisclosed sum to retail group Milligan.
Designer retailer Flannels, which has shops in London, Manchester and
Leeds, has signed up to be the anchor store in the two0storey development.
Milligan is confident it can attract other retailers.
The Met Quarter will be built around a ‘covered streets’
design and Milligan says it will be open I time for Christmas 2005.
John Milligan, chief executive, said ‘We have exchanged contracts
with the Walton Group and the deal should be complete by mid-April. Building
work will resume in the next two months. ‘Liverpool is the place
to invest for retailers and our scheme will complement the Grosvenor scheme
to make the city a prime retail destination by 2008, when the city is
European Capital of Culture.’ ‘We have begun marketing the
site already and I am very confident all the units will be let over the
next 12 months.’
The buyout followed months of negotiations between Walton and Mr Milligan,
who was originally the sub-contractor for the development until building
work was brought to a halt last year.
Liverpool council leader Mike Storey said: ‘The old post office
is a very important site. ‘This development will be opposite the
new Culture HQ and close the Paradise Street shopping centre. ‘It
will help transform Liverpool into a premier shopping destination and
I am looking forward to building work resuming in the very near future.’
Nobody from the Walton Group was available for comment.