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Liverpool `Exchange Flags` commercial and downtown revival `The Hill`

13K views 56 replies 28 participants last post by  libbrit 
#1 ·
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/...n-to-buy-all-of-exchange-flags-name_page.html

Firm moves in to buy all of Exchange FlagsJun 21 2006

By Tony Mcdonough, Daily Post

PROPERTY firm UK Land & Property last night told the Daily Post it would like to acquire the rest of Exchange Flags after completing a deal for half of the complex this week.

It was revealed yesterday that the Liverpool-based company had bought the Grade II Listed Horton

House, comprising 160,000 sq ft of office space, in a multi-million pound deal. Horton House forms part of the Exchange Flags complex.

The property overlooks the historic Exchange Flags Square at the back of Liverpool Town Hall and has lain largely empty for the past 15 years.

UK Land bought the site from Bill Davies' Walton Group and it said it would look to acquire the other half of the complex, Walker House, should Walton be willing to sell.

Managing director Simon Parker said: "Clearly now our focus is on Horton House but we would be foolish not to enter into negotiations over Walker House if Walton Group considered it appropriate."

UK Land is to spend £7m refurbishing the site and the first tenant will be Liverpool law firm Brabners Chaffe Street which will move into 41,000 sq ft in July next year.

Around 200 staff from its current bases in Dale Street and Castle Street will relocate onto the new site.

Brabners has signed a 15 year lease with the option of taking more space for future expansion.

Once the refurbishment is complete around 80,000 sq ft of space will be made available, with suites from 2,000 sq ft. Retail units on the ground floor, totalling 15,000 sq ft, will be made available immediately.

UK Land has entered into a joint venture with Pochins for the scheme which will commence in August.

This week's deal was seen as a breakthrough for what has been seen as one of the biggest missed opportunities in Liverpool's regeneration.

Despite renewal taking place all around it Exchange Flags has been left largely empty for many years despite previous talk of turning it into luxury apartments.

If UK Land could secure a deal for Walker House, then that would be seen as another major economic boost for the city's central business district.

tonymcdonough@dailypost.co.uk
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Excellent excellent excellent ..... Liverpools city centre hill.

Vista vista vista downtown Liverpool.
 
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#34 ·
The Town Hall is a little bit old and sandstone doesn`t scrub up well indefinately. :)
 
#35 ·
Very true, i was led to believe it was Bill Davies's lot who had done a lot of damage to it.

I'm sure specialist's could be brought in to clean it up, either do some sort of surface dressing or a programme of gradual replacement, i suppose it all boils down to money though. :)
 
#41 ·
if ever there was something from this Biennial that should stay for good, its the spider. If we can keep other pieces of temporary art forever 9Superlambanana) we can keep this one.

The cute revolving trees could also stay without too much bother.

If the prevailing business case used by the Biennial to get funding for its outdoor elements (getting people to go around the city, spreading and spending money as they go) was valid then, its still valid now.

Keep a couple of the best pieces from each Biennial so that our outdoor art collection gets bigger and bigger over time.
 
#45 ·
It's really great to see a large number floors of exchange flags lit up at night indicating the new commercial lettings....for me one of the best encouraging signs that the city economy has been lifted well off the floor and also another good reason to heartily damn that lousy waste of a space of local entrepeneur Mr Walton (monaco tax exile) of Walton (so called development) group fame.
 
#46 ·
Catch the Web of Light before it goes out!

Venture to Exchange Flags in Liverpool City Centre and you will meet an awesome and rather beautiful visitor…but hurry, he will soon be disappearing!

As part of Liverpool Biennial’s Made Up international exhibition, artist, architect, curator and prolific blogger Ai Weiwei has created a stunning web of light spanning the huge open space behind Liverpool Town Hall and placed at its centre a sparkling, crystal-studded spider. You have to see it to believe it.

Web of Light will remain at Exchange Flags until the end of the month.
 
#47 ·
I love Exchange Flags and I loved the spider when I saw it back in September. maybe it could come back every year during the winter months - maybe round Halloween time.

Also has anyone seen the ice rink that they have every winter at Somerset House in London?

http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/ice_rink/image_gallery/805.asp

Surely something similar could be done at Exchange Flags - maybe a slightly narrower space and there's the momnument in the middle but it could be done. Certainly get thousands down there who wouldn't normally go to that part of town.
 
#53 ·
Also has anyone seen the ice rink that they have every winter at Somerset House in London?

http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/ice_rink/image_gallery/805.asp

Surely something similar could be done at Exchange Flags - maybe a slightly narrower space and there's the momnument in the middle but it could be done. Certainly get thousands down there who wouldn't normally go to that part of town.

I suggested an ice rink for Chavasse Park on the Liverpool One thread four weeks ago:

It would be good to see a Rockerfeller Centre style ice rink at the top of Chavasse Park where the Frankfurter stalls are:

 
#48 ·
I skated in the Somerset House one a few years ago. It's a great setting, quite large but too busy. London has quite a few other temporary ice rinks now. We only have the one in St George's Hall! I think Exchange Flags would make a great ice rink. Those responsible for it would have to have a cushioned barrier around the monument and perhaps a rule against congregating there although this rule might be unnecessary if people watch where they are 'skating'.
 
#49 ·
To me an ice rink next winter at Exchange Flags makes perfect sense. if anything it's a more spectacular space than Somerset House, also the surrounding buildings are higher, providing shelter from the elements. Anyway I emailed the property company who are letting the office space there to see what they think.
 
#57 ·
My suggestions for Exchange Flags would involve/include

  1. Opening the Old Hall Street entrance of Moorfields at the weekend-it cant cost Merseyrail anything to open a door and its much more convenient, transport wise
  2. A crafts/antique fair three sundays a week on the square to increase footfall in this quiet part of town
  3. A once monthly Sunday farmers market
  4. Encouraging smaller coffee shops/bars to open on the square, and crucially, to have outdoor seatings, open later and open at the weekend-many of the local eateries dont open at all when the offices are closed, which makes the area a dead zone at the weekend. It could be a nice continental style public square to sit and have a drink.
  5. During the summer months, how about a rare books fair every Saturday?
  6. Any chance of moving the Admiral Nelson memorial? I dont mean out of the square, just perhaps closer to the Town Hall and out of the middle of the square-its taking up prime space.
  7. A Christmas market (a proper one, not that one they have on Church St), and an ice-rink for the month of December
 
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