page_title: Liverpool One
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Liverpool One / Background
caption_attribution_description: New Hilton Hotel, Liverpool
context_page_description: Liverpool ONE is a shopping, residential, and leisure complex in Liverpool, England. The project involved the redevelopment of 42 acres of land in the city centre. It is a retail-led development anchored by department stores Debenhams and John Lewis, with additional elements including leisure facilities, apartments, offices, public open spaces, restaurants, and transport improvements. The completion of Liverpool ONE significantly boosted the local economy, while lifting Liverpool into the top five most popular retail destinations in the UK.
  Liverpool ONE is the largest open-air shopping centre in the UK and the ninth-largest shopping centre overall. Each store was created by a different architect, leading to stark differences between some buildings, one way in which Liverpool ONE differentiates itself from other shopping centres. The majority of the development was opened in phases on 29 May 2008 and 1 October 2008, during Liverpool's year as the European Capital of Culture, whilst the final residential units opened in early 2009. The cost of construction associated with the project was £500 million, with a total investment value of £920 million.
context_section_description: In the summer of 1998, Healey & Baker's Development Team, which is now owned by Cushman & Wakefield, were appointed by Liverpool City Council to conduct a retail study of Liverpool city centre for the replacement Unitary Development Plan. The purpose of the study was to enable the council to identify ways of protecting and improving the city centre and also to find out why the it was perceived as unattractive to high-quality retailers. Cushman & Wakefield's study revealed that Liverpool's reputation as a regional shopping centre was under serious threat, but it also found that a feasible scheme and redevelopment site existed within the heart of the city. Cushman & Wakefield recommended a radical re-development of over 42 acres (170,000 m²), which would represent the largest city centre development in Europe since the post-war reconstruction.
  In April 1999, Liverpool City Council passed a resolution for comprehensive redevelopment of the Paradise Street area, calling it the Paradise Project, which consisted of the area bound by Strand Street, the Combined Courts Centre, Lord Street, Church Street, Hanover Street, and Liver Street. The area contained Chavasse Park, the Paradise Street bus station, and NCP Car Park, Quiggins, the Moat House Hotel, Canning Place Fire Station, and BBC Radio Merseyside. There were also large areas of wasteland, some used as car parks. In March 2000, after a series of technical workshops, Liverpool City Council selected the Duke of Westminster's Grosvenor Group as the developer. The development agreement between the council and Grosvenor was signed in January 2003. As a result of the technical workshops, it became apparent to Cushman & Wakefield that whilst the boundary of the PSDA was appropriate, the boundary needed to be extended and more clearly defined.
  Cushman & Wakefield proposed that two Mixed Use Extension Areas be identified to the West and East of the PSDA, including the sites of Chavasse Park/ Canning Place, together with an area across Hanover Street extending into Rope Walks. The Government Office for the North West (GONW) agreed with Cushman & Wakefield that the Unitary Development Plan needed revisiting and the City Council was understandably reluctant given it had just completed the UDP Inquiry. The proposals were further attacked by a competing 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m²) scheme. Following further consideration by Members, the revised PSDA Planning Framework incorporating the mixed use extension areas was issued for consultation in May 2000. The Council subsequently resolved to incorporate the PSDA Planning Framework into the emerging Unitary Development Plan. This necessitated a further public inquiry and consultation period. Three years later Cushman & Wakefield secured the Unitary Development Plan changes sought and defeated the opposition's appeal.
  In December 2003, Grosvenor selected Laing O'Rourke as construction partner. BDP designed the masterplan for Liverpool ONE which, in 2009, was nominated for the RIBA Stirling Prize. This is the first time a masterplan, rather than one particular building, has been nominated for the prize. The 42 acre site was designed to consist of 1.4 million sq. feet of retail space, a 14-screen multiplex cinema and 230,000 sq. feet of restaurants, cafes and bars in addition to 600 new apartments, two hotels, offices, a five-acre park and a transport interchange. BDP integrated these features and linked the 40 new buildings designed by over 20 different architects.
caption: The Hilton Liverpool is Liverpool ONE's largest hotel
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