RopeWalks interview with Merepark, developers of Central Village
Source: Ropewalks.com
Central Village. The name might not mean a lot to you now, but in 2013, we think you might notice it.
It is the leisure-led destination that Merepark have tagged as being a beacon in the already thriving community of RopeWalks. RopeWalks as it stands plays host to hundreds of independent retailers including tattoo artists, arts and craft shops, charming cafes, a radical book shop, alternative fashion creators, stockists and restockists and the Quiggins alternative centre to name a few. This is a sensitive ecosystem that can very easily disturbed, its sons and daughters having nurtured it's growth in the fertile soil of Liverpool over literally hundreds of years.
At one time, the source of wealth from all over England as a main serving high-level railway terminal, the former Central Station overground site will now play a different role as it bids to attract the same revenue in a different way: Fun.
Liverpool has put itself back on the map in terms of prosperity, with Liverpool winning, and then in turn being the most successful European Capital of Culture ever. Our hotels cannot cope with demand. Last year was our busiest ever in terms of occupancy. Liverpool ONE has put the city back in the retail top 5, while the Liverpool Echo Arena and BT convention centre are welcoming people to the birth of an idea... Liverpool can be great again!
The forward momentum is clear. Thats is why 6 acres of RopeWalks will be reimagined too. We put questions to Neal Hunter, a Merepark spokesman, about why Central Village will transform the lives of everyone who lives, works, shops and plays in the shadow of our dear Dickie Lewis.
What do you have planned for inclusion in the development?
Central Village will extend the city’s retail and leisure core with three new hotels, offices, retail outlets, restaurants, bars, cafes, a new public car park, residential buildings, a six screen cinema and landscaped public space, including a boardwalk and water feature. The scheme includes the iconic Lewis’s building and will cover a total of six acres once complete.
Was it important to get a cinema on-board?
The cinema plays a pivotal role in creating a vibrant leisure and retail led scheme, enhancing the evening economy, driving footfall and providing a major draw for other tenants.
In particular, the Odeon will give Central Village real family appeal and complement the wider food and drink tenants. It was always our intention for a cinema to be a key piece of the Central Village jigsaw and securing a second Odeon for the city is a real coup.
Do you plan to pedestrianise Newington?
Newington will not be pedestrianised but will be traffic calmed. It’s a major gateway into the scheme and joins Central Village to the rest of Ropewalks, encouraging movement between those areas.
What of the Lewis's building including fixtures, will be preserved?
The Lewis’s building itself will largely remain the same. The main changes relate to the cut through, which will see the back of the Lewis’s building open up onto the public plaza, hotels and cinema behind.
The frontage will be given new windows and the existing stonework cleaned. The iconic Liverpool Resurgent statue, also known as Dickie Lewis, will remain in place above the Renshaw Street entrance and interior features such as the 1950s tiled mural in the former self service restaurant on the fifth floor will also be retained.
How do you plan to protect the businesses which surround the development site during construction?
There will be no reason for any local businesses to close during the construction work and we are striving to keep any disruption to a minimum.
We’ll be working closely with local retailers, residents and businesses to keep them informed of our schedule of works and to provide as much advance notice as possible. We have already held meetings with Friends of Renshaw, Ropewalks and the Station operators to discuss our proposals and timescales.
The Central Village website (www.centralvillageliverpool.co.uk) will be updated on a regular basis and we’ll be launching a regular email bulletin to share our progress.
What age ranges do you think the development will attract when the scheme is finished?
We have secured pre-lets from big brand leisure operators, independent restaurateurs and high end hoteliers to ensure that Central Village has widespread draw to all ages.
However we expect it to have strong appeal to the family audience and lettings to Odeon and Frankie & Bennys show we’ve got off to a strong start.
Do you think the Ropewalks area will benefit from the scheme, including the FACT centre?
Central Village will contribute £100m to the city’s economy and create approximately 3000 jobs so there’s no question that Ropewalks will feel the benefit.
It’s not our intention to erode the unique character of Ropewalks but rather to provide a further catalyst for local businesses to thrive. Increased footfall will translate into increased custom – whether it’s a construction worker buy a sandwich or friends visiting a local restaurant before the cinema. The benefits are countless.
Central Village will improve connectivity through Ropewalks, joining up currently disparate areas and encouraging a flow of people through the area. Additional parking provision will also benefit the area as a whole.
Do you want the development to be a genuine alternative from the hustle and bustle of the Liverpool ONE offering?
Central Village is a very different proposition to Liverpool One and is a predominantly leisure-led scheme, anchored by the cinema and hotels. We’re not trying to compete with Liverpool One, instead we’re developing a complementary offering that adds appeal to the city centre as a whole and reinvigorates Ropewalks.
Has the situation of Liverpool Central station not being given government money for regeneration affected anything? We hear alternative sources of money will come into play to plug the gap.
The rail operators have funding secured for a package of works relating to the concourse levels. Our proposed works will dovetail with this and will see us work together to deliver these works as one scheme.
Will there be any reference to the site's former use as a railway?
The scheme includes a stepped water race which runs down the site and takes its inspiration from the over-ground railway tracks which once occupied the land.
Central Station is also part of the wider £160m Central Village scheme and will become a retail and leisure hub with shops, cafes, bars and restaurants across new floors, erected above the current station concourse.
Central Station handles 17m passengers per year and provides a vital gateway to the scheme. The redevelopment will see the station become a more significant transport hub and an integral part of Central Village and Liverpool as a whole.
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The Capital, 39 Old Hall Street, Liverpool
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Telephone: +44(0)151 600 2900
Email:
info@liverpoolvision.co.uk