The historic merchant city and current centre of nation contemporaneity, Liverpool, looks set to make room for 3,000 new jobs following the start of work on a £100m retail park project.

Groundworks have commenced at Edge Lane Retail Park with Knottingley-based Caddick Construction leading the redevelopment of the site in what will be called Liverpool Shopping Park on completion. The leisure and retail scheme will comprise some 727,000 sq ft of commercial space spread out across 41 retail units. As such, the site is expected to provide a number of job opportunities at number of levels.

At the project’s sign-off, it will incorporate the existing Edge Lane Retail Park whilst also extending into land adjacent across the junction of Edge Lane and Rathbone Road.

The first phase of construction will see the creation of the Western Quarter. The space will notch up around 92,500 sq ft of space – much of which will be dedicated to brand-new retail units arranged in a horseshoe-shape around a central courtyard and parking areas. First phase works will also see the development of industrial units on Rathbone Road as well as renovation and re-purposing of two units formerly tenanted by Blockbuster.

Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool was enthusiastic about the potential of the prospect, stressing that it will not just be an asset for local for also attract new vistitors in view of the site’s position on, what he described as, a key gateway route into Liverpool.

He added that the new retail park would breath new life into the city, whilst aligning with the vision and values of current schemes of regeneration in the retail, leisure and residential sectors He drew attention to the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital and film and TV production studios specifically.

David Lyons, Managing Director of the Derwent Group, shared similar views, insisting the project would transform the landscape of the city and that it represents the final piece of Liverpool’s retail puzzle. And with big name brands, local eateries, and leisure and gyms operators all brought together in the same, convenient location, Lyons could well be right. Liverpool Shopping Park will undoubtedly be amongst the most accessible and most visible places to shop in the city.

Lyons went on to express his pleasure at the collaboration between the Derwent Group and Caddick Construction. The firms have a long history together having partnered on projects for the last 14 years on projects with an accumulated worth of £84m.

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