Plans will be discussed next week that could see the former Debenhams store in Liverpool City Centre transformed into an indoor go karting track.
Liverpool Council's planning committee will run the rule over an application from Grosvenor, the landlord of Liverpool ONE, who want to convert part of the vacant 185,000 sq ft department store into leisure space - which could feature a go-kart track.
The building is located on the corner of South John Street and Lord Street and falls within the Liverpool ONE estate.
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Until its closure in May 2021, Debenhams traded from all four levels of the building - but it has remained vacant since then.
The new proposal from Grosvenor is to retain retail use in the lower and upper ground levels of the building and use the first and second levels for leisure purposes - which could include an indoor go-karting track.
The main entrance for the site would be from Chavasse Park.
Ahead of next week's planning committee meeting, council planning officers are recommending that the plans should be approved - with a number of conditions included.
Those conditions include retaining the building's windows that front onto Lord Street and South John Street and that the lower and upper ground retail levels won't be subdivided into separate shop units.
The planning report states: "It is considered the proposed change of use is appropriate in this location.
"The proposal accords with national and local planning policy and would assist in bringing this highly prominent building back into beneficial use and increasing the range of leisure facilities within the city centre."
Debenhams had been one of Liverpool ONE’s anchor tenants since the shopping centre opened in 2008.
The famous high street name closed its Liverpool store in May along with 123 others nationally.
The collapse of the retailer saw the loss of around 12,000 jobs.
Online retailer Boohoo bought the Debenhams brand and website for £55m in January 2021.
If the plans go ahead, this won't be the first former Debenhams store to be converted into a leisure attraction.
A former store in Wandsworth's Southside shopping centre has been converted into an indoor amusement centre - featuring a go karting track along with bowling, indoor golf, darts and pool.
While planning officers have recommended the plans are approved, it will be down to the council's elected planning committee to make the final decision when it meets at Liverpool Town Hall on February 8.
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