The boss of a property development firm set to bring thousands of apartments to the city in the coming years has said Liverpool "needs to change its negativity around developers" to move forward.
John Morley has been working in the property industry since 2010 and set up Legacie Developments in 2015. The company now employs 200 staff directly, with a little shy of 1,000 indirect workers.
John told the ECHO: "We've grown in the last few years and we've got some institutional partners and big funders. Liverpool hasn't got enough good developers so we've benefitted from that."
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Legacie is live on seven sites in Liverpool, including Parliament Square, the Baltic Triangle 's "first tower", which will comprise of more than 500 apartments, a public park plaza, commercial space and a spa .
John said: "I'm sitting here looking at what we've built. It was just a piece of grass and now you have the full view of the city."
The company is also behind Heap's Mill, which will regenerate an 18th century former rice mill in the city centre. John added that Legacie is "in touching distance of funding" which should "get over the line" in January 2023.
Legacie's projects could bring between 4,000 and 5,000 apartments to Liverpool "in the next few years". The firm is also working on projects in Manchester, but wants to focus on the city they love.
However, John has called for more engagement from "those in power". He said: "I think we have to follow other cities and other successes.
"We're half an hour from Manchester and it's almost a 'super city' now with the amount of investment going on and grade A office space getting built. I know there's a rivalry but we have to follow them.
"The demand for living in the city centre is huge. Liverpool is an amazing city to live in. It's a brand. The best thing we have is the name Liverpool - everyone in the world knows it."
John said he's from "humble beginnings", and told the ECHO he is keen to change "outdated views" of his home town.
He added: "I'm sitting here with these huge funders and they're saying how amazing it [the city of Liverpool] is. Some of them have never been to Liverpool in their life.
"But when they come here, they'll be out having a drink and will tell me how great it is and how friendly the people are."
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