Liverpool’s waterfront has undergone a consistent evolution over the past few years, with vast amounts of industrial space being transformed to meet the residential demand in the city. One of the leading projects in this area is the Liverpool Waters scheme, which is an ‘ambitious 30-year vision to completely transform the city’s northern docks’, and one of the buildings in this key location has now come to fruition.
The 31-storey structure on Princes Dock has been delivered by X1 Developments and Vermont Construction and is known as ‘Liverpool’s Lighthaus’. The brand-new building will offer a range of build-to-rent apartments, consisting of 278 one-, two-, and three-bedroom spaces. The new structure has been designed to provide high-quality living spaces for residents, with a panoramic sky lounge, co-working spaces, concierge services, a gym, river views, and communal lounges.
Liverpool Waters Development Director at Peel Waters, Chris Capes, spoke highly of the project, stating ‘this achievement reflects our long-standing partnership between Peel Waters with X1 Developments and Vermont Construction, whose expertise has been instrumental in delivering exceptional results.’
Capes also went on to outline that ‘beyond creating a stunning new residential tower, this development has generated a fantastic pipeline of opportunities for local people throughout the build, from full-time employment to apprenticeships and placements for students at the onsite City of Liverpool Construction Academy. Lighthaus demonstrates the strong appeal of Liverpool Waters as a destination for international investors, reinforcing the confidence in our vision.’
As outlined above, the completion of such a structure means great things for architecture jobs in Liverpool and property jobs in Liverpool as it demonstrates the steady progress of the highly ambitious Liverpool Waters project.
The Liverpool Lighthaus building received key support from Starlight Investments, a Canadian firm, who put forward a massive £45 million to fund the structure back in 2023.
Head of UK Residential Services at Starlight Investments, Joanie Milich, states that ‘build-to-rent in the North has entered a new phase. Lighthaus shows what the next generation of rental living looks like, with well-designed living spaces, professional management, and access to lifestyle amenities people expect.’
Milich also went on to highlight how ‘the pre-leasing response demonstrates a strong demand for this kind of offering in Liverpool and across the region.’
The emphasis on creating well-designed spaces for the future demonstrates the continuous growth in demand for residential space in key demographics such as young professionals. They are coming to live, work, and invest in the city, and the Liverpool Lighthaus structure will help to facilitate this.
Chief Executive of Vermont, Mark Connor, added that ‘this project underscores Liverpool Waters growing reputation among global investors and Peel’s ambitious plans for the development of Liverpool’s waterfront. This is just the beginning of its exciting transformation.’
Due to the sheer scale of the Liverpool Waters scheme, it will still take many years for it to fully come to fruition, but it is exciting to see residential projects are already starting to be completed, thereby transforming this key area of the city.