A council building in Liverpool city centre is to become a 250-bedroom hotel themed around former Liverpool FC manager Bill Shankly.
Signature Living – which is also behind plans to turn the former office of Titanic owner the White Star Line into an apart-hotel – is planning to turn Millennium House into a £15m hotel if the council approves a deal to sell the block on Friday.
Also planned is 17,500 sq ft of office space to serve as Signature’s head office, and existing space leased to Lifestyles Gym will be expanded.
The staff currently at the building will be relocated to the Cunard Building .
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “The relocation of our staff to the Cunard Building will generate millions in savings and income for the city council. But it is really important, once our staff leave Millennium House, that the long-term vibrancy of the building – and importantly, Victoria Street – is protected. I believe this project will deliver that.
“Liverpool’s sporting heritage is celebrated throughout the world, but we do not have a major football attraction in the city centre. These proposals would change that, providing a permanent tribute to one of our most famous footballing heroes, filling a gap within our tourism market, and attracting visitors from across the globe.”
A planning application is expected in April, with work beginning in 2015 for a 2016 completion.
