Pools building plans for scrutiny
The Littlewoods building once housed its pools business
Plans to turn an iconic Art Deco building in Liverpool into a £60m complex of offices and apartments are to go before planners.
Developers Urban Splash have been appointed by Liverpool Land Development Company (LLDC) to redevelop the former Littlewoods building on Edge Lane.
Dubbed "the digital village", it will include 250 apartments, offices, shops and a 100-bed hotel.
A glass structure is planned to stand at the top of the famous clock tower.
'Fascinating history'
The building was built in 1938 by the Moores brothers to house their football pools business and is seen by thousands of motorists a day who use the M62 for access to Liverpool city centre.
The tower has unsurpassed views of Liverpool, the Wirral and the Welsh mountains.
Urban Splash has previously worked on The Matchworks in Liverpool, Fort Dunlop in Birmingham and the Smithfield Buildings in Manchester.
This represents the area at its most vibrant when thousands of people worked here - Councillor Frank Doran
Rob Monahan, from Liverpool Land Development Company, said: "This is a significant building both in terms of the history of Liverpool and the area.
"Most people know somebody who's worked inside the building.
"We want to preserve all that for the future."
If this gets the go-ahead this will mean cutting out large parts of the interior and inserting a massive steel frame inside to prop up the building before refurbishment.
Councillor Frank Doran, who represents the area, said: "This is has been a historical building and this represents the area at its most vibrant when thousands of people worked here.
"Now the site is showing the resurgence of the area.
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"I think it would make a significant contribution to the area and to the city as a whole."
BBC Liverpool
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