Capital & Centric expecting to start restoration work and construction of new film studios at historic site within months
Capital & Centric has started the search for a main contractor to transform Liverpool’s historic Littlewoods building into a film studio complex.
The Manchester-based developer is already carrying out enabling work at the site and has completed the demolition of the 1930s building’s famous clock tower, which was deemed to be at risk of collapse in surveys earlier this year.
Capital & Centric has promised to rebuild the clock tower and this is expected to be part of the role of the main contractor when appointed. The firm said it aims to start construction work later this year.
The job, which has been designed by lead architect Shedkm, will also include a wider restoration of the unlisted Art Deco building and the construction of two 20,000sq ft newbuild film studios, intended for major productions.
Plans submitted to Liverpool council last autumn outlined how the project will open up the site to the public for the first time, with landscaped courtyard gardens, a roof terrace, a screening and performance zone and a foodhall.
While the new sound stages are expected to take around a year to build and become operational, repurposing the existing building will take longer due to the complexity of dealing with the existing structures.
Capital & Centric joint managing director John Moffat said: “We know what Littlewoods means to people locally and the last few months have been spent carefully clearing out the buildings to get them ready for the main redevelopment work.
“We’ve made good progress so we’re now on the hunt for a contractor to lead the rest of the transformation.
“This is a huge opportunity to get involved in one of the most iconic projects in the North. When it’s finished Liverpool will have a world-class film and TV destination that will cement its place as the Hollywood of the North, creating jobs for decades to come.”
The Littlewoods building was built in 1938 for football betting company Littlewoods and is a prominent landmark in Liverpool. Vacant since 1994, it was acquired by Capital & Centric in 2017 before a fire the following year damaged part of the building’s internal structure.
The developer announced its plans to transform the site into a film studio campus in 2018 with the main building to house offices, workshops, studio support facilities and an education facility.
The firm said it is currently in talks with a variety of operators interested in taking space at the site. The city region combined authority, led by mayor Steve Rotheram, has committed £17m to the project.
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