Plans are set to move forward that will create a new 'district' of Liverpool city centre, which is seen as vital to taking the city forward.
In 2019, the city council first announced its intention to create a new Upper Central area - which it said could create an 'international standard gateway' to the city centre.
The new district would cover 56 acres of the city centre, running from Liverpool Central Station to Liverpool Science Park and from the Lime Street to Bold Street.
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The district would incorporate Liverpool's burgeoning Knowledge Quarter and include the city's universities, the new Royal Liverpool Hospital and the Paddington Village campus.
And there are also ongoing discussions about a new light rail network - also known as a trackless tram - that could provide public transport routes around the district.
There have also been suggestions that a new 'Times Square-style' public space could be created outside the Adelphi Hotel as part of the Upper Central vision.
The council believes Upper Central can become a magnet for digital, tech and creative sectors and is having carried out a public consultation, is now ready to move to the next stage of the masterplan.
Councillor Sarah Doyle, Cabinet Member for Development and Economy, said: “In terms of Upper Central, we’re about to appoint consultants to enhance masterplanning work for the area, which will look at its connection to the Fabric District and the improvements needed above and beyond what is already taking place around Lime Street.
"When you arrive at Lime Street today, you go down the hill for the city centre. In future, you’ll have a choice between downhill for retail and uphill for innovation. That’s the goal.
“Central to all this is how we improve the public realm and movement as Liverpool’s greatest asset is that its city centre is so compact and walkable – and the human experience needs to be at the heart of our growth."
She added: “The future of the Knowledge Quarter is absolutely fundamental to our economic success – and its role as a catalyst in stimulating business is very similar to what we needed Liverpool ONE to do for our retail offer."
“The energy, excitement and momentum these will all create in our knowledge, creative and construction sectors as well as the transformational impact to their neighbouring areas and the communities around them, are going to change the face of Liverpool in a way we haven’t seen for a very long time."
Led by a team of independent planning experts, the draft plan for Upper Central looked at how best to redevelop the Lime Street area around the Adelphi Hotel, Central Station and Mount Pleasant. It involves Liverpool John Moores University’s Copperas Hill site, plans for the Fabric District and various private sector schemes such as Circus Liverpool at the old Lewis’s building.
To achieve this future development, the draft Upper Central Spatial Regeneration Framework focused on eight key themes:
· Creation of a true 'Gateway for Liverpool'
· Improving pedestrian-friendly links to the rest of the city centre
· Creating a feeling of place and identity
· Striving for high quality design and landmark buildings
· Provision of high-quality infrastructure
· Creating a new city district
· Preserving and enhancing heritage assets
· Delivery and collaboration
A major aspiration identified in the draft plan is how to create a super crossing at Ranelagh Place, a new pedestrian experience along Renshaw Street and to promote a new pedestrian route to Lime Street Station from Copperas Hill to allow for improved access to the Fabric District and Paddington Village.
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