Property investment and development company, Augur Group, report full occupancy at the newly refurbished transport retail hub, which immediately adjoins Liverpool Central Station. Four new tenants have been secured, the majority of which signing lease lengths of up to 10 years, demonstrating the resilience of the ‘grab-and-go’ market and confidence in the resurgence of transport hub retail.
Back in 2018 and in partnership with Liverpool City Council, Augur Group acquired 86,000 sqft of retail and leisure which immediately connects with the UK’s 7th busiest termini, outside of London, at Liverpool Central Station, with c16.5m passengers passing through per year. Augur Group undertook a much-needed refurbishment to provide a modern, fresh new look with contemporary floor and mall finishes as well as tenant and scheme signage. It has strategically repositioned the existing retail offer, focusing on emerging food concepts, beverage and convenience market as well as enhancing the station entrance environment.
Four tenants have signed up since February 2020, including restaurants and ‘grab-and-go’ units:
- Wonton, an Asian-inspired restaurant setup by a well-known Liverpool Social Enterprise.
- T4, a national Korean bubble tea café and takeaway, opening in Q1 2021.
- Following their huge success in Chester, expanding regional favourite, Dough Dough, has completed its fit out, offering a pizza restaurant with craft beer hall.
- Snack and Bargain has completed its express grab and go confectionary fit out and opened in October 2020.
In addition, existing occupiers have renewed their leases at Liverpool Central Shopping:
- Wok & Go regional Asian food takeaway.
- Archie’s national burger restaurant.
- Timpson.
The lettings at Liverpool Central contribute to the adjacent multicultural Bold Street with its thriving food and beverage offer and represent a start to the wider area regeneration proposed by Liverpool City Council in its recently approved Upper Central Strategic Regeneration Framework.
Simon Mann, Chief Executive of Augur Group, comments: “When we purchased Central Shopping, our immediate focus was to enhance the space and reposition it from a shopping centre to a transport retail hub, not least because it is the main route into the station. The success of this decision has not only been cemented with full occupancy, but the fact that several of these leases were signed during the first lockdown in 2020, indicating strong leisure and ‘grab and go’ confidence in the refreshed space.”
One of Liverpool’s main retail transport hubs is a key part of the wider regeneration of the area and is the first step in Augur Group’s contribution. Alongside Liverpool Central Station sits the Circus development, also acquired by Augur Group in 2016. The development, which lies adjacent to the Knowledge Quarter (KQ) and is at the core of Upper Central encompasses 400,000 sq ft of the Grade II listed Lewis’s Building and its retained iconic façade, as well as the surrounding land which will deliver a mixed-use residential destination in the heart of the City. Augur is already liaising with the rail bodies including Mersey Travel, Mersey Rail and Network Rail in anticipation of the station’s further expansion and enhancement.
