Regeneration of historic Liverpool street now complete
The £2.9 million scheme to regenerate Hope Street is now complete, on programme and on budget.
Hope Street is in the heart of Liverpool's cultural quarter, linking the city's two cathedrals, and the home to artistic giants such as the Everyman and Philharmonic Theatres and the Liverpool School of Art, as well as some of the city's finest restaurants.
The project includes improved paving and kerbs, the transformation of the Mount Street Triangle into a fitting home for the "Suitcases" artwork, new traffic signals and pedestrian crossings, new lighting, and resurfacing.
The scheme was coordinated by the city centre regeneration company, Liverpool Vision, working closely with Liverpool City Council and HOPES: The Hope Street Association. Funding for the scheme came from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Liverpool City Council and English Partnerships.
The area outside the Philharmonic Hall is now attractively paved in green granite providing a stunning entrance for theatre-goers. Later this year bronze benches will be installed at the Mount Street Triangle to complete the facelift.
Completion of the scheme will be marked with a celebration event on Sunday, 17th September with the launch of the Liverpool Restaurant Group's food and drink festival, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Open Day, and activities organised by HOPES.
Cllr Peter Millea, Liverpool City Council's Executive Member for Regeneration and Transport, explained:
"We are delighted with the completion of this work on programme and on budget. It has given this very important creative quarter a real facelift and the whole area looks great.
"The partnership working on this scheme has worked extremely well and particular thanks need to go to HOPES for all the work they did to ensure this scheme went ahead. We are now looking forward to the celebration event in September to mark the completion in style."
Paul Lakin, NWDA Head of Development, said:
"This is a great example of what can be achieved through working in partnership. Hope Street links much of Liverpool's cultural quarter and the work that has been undertaken has really helped to complement the city's fantastic cultural offering."
Jim Gill, Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision, said:
"Hope Street is another instance of Vision working with partners to deliver high quality public space in the City Centre. The improvements to Hope Street are something the whole city will be able to enjoy."
Hilary Burrage, from HOPES, said:
"HOPES is delighted that after a decade of campaigning to achieve this, Hope Street now looks like the wonderful street we all know it is. This was a truly bottom-up project which eventually involved Liverpool Vision, the NWDA and Liverpool City Council, as well as ourselves.
"Hope Street's public realm renewal shows that it is indeed worthwhile for the local community to collaborate with the formal decision-makers in the city, and HOPES would like to thank everyone who helped to make this exciting project possible."
Riverside MP Louise Ellman said:
"I am delighted to see major transformation in Hope Street. The Hope Street quarter is the centre of major regeneration. It is part of Liverpool's growing success."