127 St George's Way, Liverpool, L1 1LY
Contact

How the £2M renovation is going!

st_johns-10

The market closed in June and is on course to re-open in plenty of time for the Christmas trading rush the council says.

Cabinet member for regeneration, Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, visited the site as said he was “surprised at how big it is”.

The target completion date is October 31 and Cllr Kennedy said: “MArket traders will want to come back, and will come back, but we will also be bringing in new traders.

“The aim is that it will be a completely different offer for the people of Liverpool, and it’s certainly going to be revitalised.

“It will also be run on a more sustainable basis – which will repay the investment we’re making now.

“Everything is progressing nicely.”

Cllr Kennedy also said they had focused on using local labour, and the scheme is employing eight Liverpool businesses, with more than 20 local tradesmen involved.

St John’s Shopping Centre, where the market is based, recently underwent its own multimillion pound redevelopment and remains open while the work on the market continues.

The work will see the market spread over two floors, with St John’s Shopping Centre, with a new, light, central atrium, new seating area, cafés, new public toilets, lifts and wifi.

There will also be 20 new stalls and a space for ‘pop-up’ specialist markets such as antiques, craft or vintage clothing.

A key element of the refurbished market will be a new entrance from Elliot Street to help attract more shoppers inside.

The scheme had initially been approved by council chiefs in July 2014 and was set to begin in April last year but following consultation with traders, a plan to keep the market open was withdrawn as it was not feasible due to potential level of disruption, environmental and health and safety issues.

Letters have gone out this week to traders inviting them to express formal interest in returning, with the revamp expected to be finished by mid October to allow traders a two week fit out.

The city council says it has already received enquiries from over 60 businesses offering a range of commodities for the new market.

It is expected the re-opening will coincide with completion of £3.5m upgrade of public realm around St Johns and Clayton Square.

    Leave a Comment

    three × 1 =