History of Liverpool ONE
Liverpool ONE is the largest city centre regeneration project in Europe, and has been instrumental in reconfirming Liverpool’s status as one of Europe’s most exciting destinations.
From its inception Liverpool ONE has been driven by an ethos of urban design and city living with an emphasis on retail-led expansion which has transformed Liverpool to its former glories.
Liverpool ONE is located in the historic centre of Liverpool where the first wet dock in the world was constructed in 1715. The development aimed to link the city once again with its famous waterfront by vastly expanding Liverpool’s shopping district.
Tasked with this rejuvenation was property developer Grosvenor, who were appointed to rebuild the centre of Liverpool with a project which would top £1 billion. 2008 proved a very exciting time for the city of Liverpool, as the launch of Liverpool ONE coincided with the celebrations for the city’s year as the European Capital of Culture.
Based over a 42 acre site which identified six distinct districts to develop, the formerly named ‘Paradise Project’ began work in Spring 2004 with the excavation of Chavasse Park. Particular attention was paid to the preservation of historical and archaeological findings from buildings destroyed in World War II.
Chavasse Park was transformed into an outstanding area of beautifully crafted gardens incorporating Liverpool ONE’s brand new Leisure Terrace. A new bus station and multi storey car park followed as ‘points of arrival’; leading the way for the major development of streets in and around the scheme.
During the development process, Grosvenor did not lose sight of the greater task of integrating the new buildings with the existing city centre. Special care and attention was given to high quality designs which adhered to the heritage encapsulated within the city of Liverpool.
Through painstaking planning and sheer determination Liverpool ONE has become not only a triumph in city centre regeneration, but more importantly it has brought the city of Liverpool back to prominence as a premier shopping, residential and leisure destination.