WaterfrontExpo 2008 | Liverpool 2008

Liverpool 2008 - the perfect host city

Liverpool is in many respects the perfect host for WaterfrontExpo 2008.

Not only is the famous Liverpool waterfront a UNESCO World heritage site, and Liverpool the European Capital of Culture 2008.

But perhaps most significantly from the standpoint of WaterfrontExpo, the Liverpool waterfront lies at the heart of a major city-wide urban regeneration and development programme with a range of projects guaranteed to whet the appetite of anyone with a professional interest in waterfront development.

And let’s not forget that Liverpool is a major working port. The Port of Liverpool is the largest Freeport Zone in the UK, handling in excess of 34 million tonnes annually. It is currently the top UK port for UK-USA container trade while the planned development of a post-Panamax container terminal coupled to the revitalisation of the Manchester Ship Canal is likely to further enhance its significance to the economy of North West England and the UK as a whole.

In short, Liverpool offers something for everyone attending WaterfrontExpo 2008. A broad range of major projects embracing to leisure, tourism, transport & infrastructure, plus retail, commercial and residential developments hold out lessons and experience as valid to the needs of modest waterfront towns as to the largest global metrolopolises.

Super Port

The Port of Liverpool is the largest Freeport Zone in the UK, handling around 33.5 million tonnes annually. It is the top UK port for UK-USA and UK-Canada container trade and the UK's third largest container port overall. Plans have also been approved by the government for the first post-Panamax container terminal on the UK's West Coast. This £90 million facility will almost double container capacity at the Port of Liverpool

Super Port is a concept which involves the integration of the Port of Liverpool with Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the Manchester Ship Canal by their common owner, the developer Peel Holdings.

Peel’s plan involves creating a gateway and distribution hub for Europe, Asia and North America which stretches right into the heart of the UK’s important North West region. The Liverpool City Region's central location within the UK and its excellent road, rail, sea and air links provide advantages for shipping and freight forwarders, processors and manufacturers through to retailers and distribution firms. Merseyside also provides access to two-thirds of the UK population within a two hour drive, as well direct rail connections to London and other major UK cities.

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Liverpool One

Liverpool One, located on the Liverpool waterfront, is a 42 acre retail and leisure development by the Duke of Westminster's property arm, Grosvenor, which is investing £1 billion in the project which is currently the largest of its kind in Europe.

Liverpool One formally opens on 29 May 2008 and is expected to create more than 4,500 jobs. It encompasses 222,967 sq m (with around two-thirds designated for retail). It will also have 21,368 sq m of leisure facilities (including a 14-screen cinema, health and fitness centre, revitalised park, restaurants, cafes and bars).

A Hilton Hotel will open in 2008, featuring 216 guest rooms over eight floors, ten Hilton Meetings rooms, a ballroom, restaurant and a LivingWell Express.

Anchor stores John Lewis and Debenhams will occupy 22,297 sq m (240,000sq ft) and 17,187 sq m (185,000sq ft) respectively. American Apparel (which is launching its first store outside London), Virgin Megastores and JD/Nike/Scotts have all taken major units, while restaurants will include Wagamama and Strada.

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Princes Dock

Princes Dock, adjacent to Liverpool's world-famous Pier Head and Three Graces, provides high quality office accommodation for companies including KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Capita, and Atlantic Container Line.

When completed, it will provide one million square feet of office space, three hotels, 270 residential units and 52,000 square feet of leisure and retail outlets.

Current facilities include:

The £24 million Malmaison hotel which opened early 2007. The 11 storey boutique hotel has 128 bedrooms, two suites and a brasserie with four private rooms and is the company's first ever 'new build'. It stands alongside the existing Crowne Plaza hotel.
Developers City Lofts recently completed a £33 million scheme to build 162 luxury apartments.
Millennium Estates is building the £35 million, 24 storey Alexandra Tower, which will comprise 200 apartments. and is due for completion in May 2008.
The developer Lead Asset Strategies has planning permission for the £130 million New World Square which will incorporate an eight storey, five-star hotel alongside 385 apartments, plus commercial space for restaurants and shops.

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ACC Liverpool

The £146 million Arena and Convention Centre complex completed in May 2008 will host this year’s WaterfrontExpo. It comprises a 10,000-seater arena, a 1,350 capacity conference centre, a multi-purpose hall, more than 7,000sq m of exhibition space and 18 further meeting rooms (equipped with the latest telecommunications and data network, cabling infrastructure, wireless LAN and digital audio facilities). An outdoor public piazza will also accommodate outdoor events and performances.

ACC Liverpool is part of the Kings Waterfront development - adjacent to The Albert Dock and Liverpool One - is projected to create 2,200 new jobs and attract an additional £7 million of visitor spending each year.

InterContinental Hotel Group has opened a 132 suite, £18 million Staybridge Suites hotel for 'extended stay' business guests on the site. Construction of a 310-bedroom Jurys Inn operated by Jurys Doyle is also underway on the site.

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Liverpool Waters

This is a proposal by Peel Holdings, the owners of Mersey Docks & Harbour Company and Liverpool John Lennon Airport. The proposal involves a £5.5 billion, 21 million sq ft scheme to create a world-class mixed-use iconic development of more than 50 buildings, many over 50 storeys high.

Additional features would include:
• A monorail for Liverpool, with potential to connect to Liverpool John Lennon Airport
• 23,000 new homes
• 4 hotels
• A new marina, promenade and bridges across the water
• An additional cruise liner facility

Outline planning permission for the proposal is expected to be submitted during 2008.

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Wirral Waters

This is a proposal by Peel Holdings, owners of Mersey Docks & Harbour Company and Liverpool John Lennon Airport, for a 30 year masterplan to invest £4.5 billion regenerating Wallasey and Birkenhead docklands on the opposite side of the River Mersey from Liverpool.

More than 500 acres of brownfield, underused land will be redeveloped to include:

Iconic skyscrapers of up to and over 50 storeys lining the waterfront
5 million square feet of office space
More than 11 million square feet for residential apartments
A new 571,000 square feet Retail and Leisure Quarter
The development would create more than 27,000 permanent new jobs with tens of thousands of additional construction jobs and indirect jobs.

An outline planning application will be submitted during 2008 and the development will be phased over a period of 30 years.

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