<<yep
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That's good to hear BuggedBoy as that's all people have been going on about since Liverpool One opened. I was worried Chruch Street would become a ghost town. I heard Rapid would eventually be moving into the old John Lewis building once M&S move back into their refurbished buidling. Is this true as we already have a huge rapid?
I was thinking of possibilites for the old shops on Church Street and even with this new retail development it seems we still won't have a Selfridges or House of Fraiser (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) and I'd really like to see something like that as these will be reasons for people to keep going to other cities to shop. Not that I want to negative as I'm always one who likes to be positive about the regeneration and I love Liverpool One, I'm just saying do you think these stores would be possibilities for the future?
'We're are always the first to laugh, but also the first to cry'-Gerry Marsden
it's all economics, shops will only survive if they have enough people coming thru the doors to pay the lease, wages and make some profit, for the life of me i can't understand how rapid is still alive , there are not many cities in the world where a d.i.y company has a presence in it's downtown area, 20 years ago i used to go into rapid and see people walk out with a few boards of timber and get onto a bus to a suburb where they could buy the same thing cheaper in the local builders merchant.......... maybe thats why they are still alive ?
In years gone by, if you didn't know where to buy something, you'd go to Woolies.Originally Posted by shoney
Now Rapid have got that reputation.
Long may they continue.
In Renshaw Street, hopefully, because I can't see other shops wanting to move there.
You only have to go round the corner to Berry Street, and see quite a lot of shops that have been empty for years to see the future of Renshaw Street.
I hear they are going to M&S building in church street, renshaw street was always of the beaten track, lewis's was the starting point for a saturday in town, renshaw street was the opposite direction for the rest of the shops market etc, although i rember as a teen there was a good op shop at 81a and as a young man there were 2 tetly pubs next door to each other and only 8 years ago a half decent cafe on the opposite side to lewis's, traffic was a bit mad to trawl both sides of the street so i imagine the natural thing to do is to descend into raneleigh and church st etc..... not been there for a while but it seems to be being more condensed , which may be a good thing..
Renshaw Street and Berry Street were redesigned as part of the Big Dig. Still two-way and still takes ages for traffic to move.
Yes as far as i know Rapid will move to the old John lewis when M&S move back to their re designed store on church street. The old Rapid store is to be sold and will likely be incorporated into the central village scheme. There is more information in this article from may in the daily post:
Frustrated Rapid puts premises up for sale
May 14 2008
by Barry Turnbull
Liverpool Daily Post
THE frustrated boss of city centre store Rapid Hardware last night hit out at developers who have failed to table an offer for the DIY firm’s premises.
Managing director Martin Doherty has become fed up of interested parties simply "sniffing around" and has decided to put the city store on the market.
The company has to sell the red-brick row of knocked-through shops before it can move into John Lewis's store, in Church Street. John Lewis, in turn, is moving into a new building in the soon-to-open Liverpool One shopping scheme.
In the meantime, Rapid’s nearby former paint store, which was sold to Merepark last year, is to form part of a four-star hotel development in neighbouring £160m Central Village scheme.
Mr Doherty said: "We have had discussions with a number of people about various schemes such as a student village.
“Merepark have been sniffing around but haven't come up with a concrete offer so we need to look at our options and will be going to the market shortly."
Merepark bought the paintstore and were thought to be interested in the rest of the site, which is expected to be valued at tens of millions of pounds.
Ian Jones, director of Merepark, said: “I can confirm we are in discussions with Rapid Hardware over its Renshaw Street site. We can not comment further at this stage.”
A city retail property agent said: "It is a big site, so anyone wanting to redevelop would have to weigh up the costs very care- fully. It would be no use knocking down and replacing with similar buildings, for value you would need to build tall."
Rapid's properties extend along Renshaw Street and into Bold Street. The company declined to detail the value of the site.
Yesterday, Merepark and joint venture partner Ballymore submitted plans for extend a Grade II listed building into a four-star hotel. The Watson building, formerly part of Lewis’s on Renshaw Street, and the neighbouring former Rapid Hardware paint shop, were acquired by joint venture vehicle Central Regeneration.
The 70,000 sq ft Watson building will be extended onto the site of the former paint shop to form a 170,000 sq ft, 180 bedroom, four star-plus hotel designed by international architects Woods Bagot.Š An intern- ational hotel operator has already been secured.
The scheme’s approval would secure a further £50m investment for the city centre.
Mr Jones added: “Working closely with our architects, Woods Bagot, we have developed a scheme which responds well to the local surroundings and provides another dynamic link to Central Village.
“Sustainability is at the centre of our vision and we’re confident that this proposal, combined with our plans for the Lewis’s building and Central Village, will result in an exciting mixed-use quarter that brings new purpose and opportunity to the city.”
Fears over exodus to Liverpool One from Church Street
Jun 24 2008
by Michelle Fiddler, Liverpool Echo
BUSINESS leaders have hit back at criticism that big-name stores are deserting Church Street in favour of Liverpool One.
Popular outlets like John Lewis, Zara, Gap, Disney Store and WH Smith have already left their traditional homes in the city centre’s main shopping street and set up in the £1bn development.
It has left prominent shops in the heart of the city centre empty while shoppers have poured into Liverpool One.
Community leaders today voiced fears other shops may follow after it emerged Marks & Spencer is the only firm prevented from leaving Church Street by a legal agreement between developer Grosvenor and Liverpool council.
City centre councillor Nick Small said: “If that agreement only covers Marks & Spencer, it is a much more serious situation.
“There is nothing in place to stop shops moving wholesale to Liverpool One.
“We have got to determine what the situation is, if there are safeguards in place and if they are enough.”
But business leaders said the number of shoppers passing through Church Street to get to Liverpool One would encourage other retailers to move in.
Peter Jones, from Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, said: “Church Street will retain Marks & Spencer and Primark, which are both a big draw for shoppers.
“Shoppers have to go through Church Street to get to Liverpool One. There may be empty windows now, but hopefully the increase in footfall will encourage other retailers to move to those premises.
“We hope Liverpool One will mean more business for everyone concerned.”
Rita Waters, chief executive of Liverpool Business Improvement District (Bid), said: “I am aware several vacant units are in the hands of letting agents and are under negotiation with key retailers looking to have a presence in the city.
“There are also some smaller retailers with the opportunity to expand into larger units, which would not necessarily have been available to them in the past.
“Overall, this will improve the offer we have, meaning greater visitor numbers and more money finding its way into the tills.”
A council spokesman said it had worked closely with Grosvenor to manage John Lewis’s move to Liverpool One and find a replacement occupier for the old George Henry Lee’s building
“We are doing a lot of work with Bid and the Chamber of Commerce to manage the transfer of businesses out of Church Street and Lord Street and make sure the units are vacant for as little time as realistically possible.
“For a period of time, it will have an impact on other areas of the city. We are in a period of transition.
“There are a huge number of units coming on stream. Naturally, some of the businesses will want to transfer. We have to ensure the units are re-let as quickly as possible.”
Source: Liverpool Echo
It's great to read from buggedboy that Church St isn't going to be completely deserted - I was wondering what would be left with so many of the big names moving "round the corner", especially the large premises like WH Smiths (considering the size of their new place they should have stayed-put). At least the likes of M&S and Primark will continue to bring the crowds in, along with Rapid when they join in.
It's been great to see, though, that 4 weeks on, Church St and Lord St are as busy as ever - busier in fact, more like the run up to Christmas. Even I've been there more often, the whole of the city centre is more pleasant to walk round even if only window-shopping (...cos I'm broke
) now it's all open again.
I could not agree with you more about WHSmiths. Just been in the new one and i could not believe how small it was. The magazine isles are so narrow i almost had to get on my hands and knees to find what i wanted. I'll be giving it a miss during peak times. It will be a nightmare at Christmas.
Last edited by RoddersUK; 07-04-2008 at 01:48 PM. Reason: I can't sepll
Well I seen all the new stuff yesterday. I Didn't like it one bit. Clayton sq was empty. And that W.H's is small. Looking through the magazines was bad enough in the old one (as most of you blokes will know this) when looking at the magazines and someone farted. Now there's no escape!!
Firms move in to Church Street
BIG NAME businesses will move into city centre shops deserted by the exodus to Liverpool One.
There were fears for the future of Church Street and Lord Street after companies such as John Lewis, Zara, Gap and WH Smith decamped into the £1bn development.
But HSBC, River Island and Marks & Spencer were among those announcing their support for Liverpool’s traditional shopping streets today.
Work has already started on converting empty stores into modern premises for the firms to take over.
HSBC is spending £3m transforming the former Gap, at the junction of Church Street and Whitechapel, into a new branch with 50 members of staff and 10 cash machines for customers.
The bank hopes to complete the work early next year.
A spokesman said: “HSBC is always looking to improve our branches – particularly in Liverpool which is one of our major cities.”
Marks & Spencer is preparing to move into the old George Henry Lee building, left empty when John Lewis moved into one of Liverpool One’s anchor stores.
It will move lock, stock and barrel while its Church Street home is revamped and almost doubled in size.
Workmen will take more than a year to complete the transformation.
A Marks & Spencer spokesman said: “It is the first time we have moved out of a store to refurbish it but it will really speed up the process.
“The building is listed and very complex which is why it will take so long to redevelop.
“We looked at all the options, but our customers would be up in arms if we moved away.
“Marks & Spencer belongs in Church Street. It is an amazing building.”
Meanwhile, River Island will move across Church Street into the former WH Smith store.
Advertising boards say fashion outlets Jack & Jones and Vera Moda will replace Zara at Church Street’s junction with Paradise Street.
Liverpool Chamber of Commerce chief executive Jack Stopforth said: “The fact the former Gap, Zara and WH Smith premises were let so quickly after the tenants relocated to Liverpool One shows Church Street is still an attractive location.
“The redevelopment of Marks & Spencer and the fact the street is home to one of the largest Primark stores will continue to attract shoppers and retain the balance in the city centre.”
Mr Stopforth said the October opening of Liverpool One’s second phase, which includes a walkway through the old HMV premises, will further improve accessibility between the old and new shopping areas.
He added: “Liverpool One has already attracted huge numbers of shoppers and that has got to have a positive spin-off for retailers throughout the city centre.”
vickikellaway@liverpoolecho.co.uk
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I'm glad...I'd hate to see Church street go to ruin, I've got to many fond memories of it.
"Such Power Exists?"
Good about the new stores and banks but aren't the others just shuffling around? The old River Island will be empty and when M&S move back GH Lees (John Lewis) will be empty.
Rapid will then move to G H Lees.
They've already started a "Relocation Sale", which presumably is going to last anything up to 2 years?
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