City HMV store on the move
8 Feb 2007
ONE of the biggest stores in Liverpools flagship shopping street has closed to make way for a new link into the 920 Million Pound Grosvenor Paradise Project.
HMV, the music to DVD store, is to relocate to a new temporary home in the city centre after the former Woolworths building, in Church Street, was acquired by Grosvenor.
The HSBC Pension Fund has sold the building that once housed the UK’s first purpose-built Woolworth store.
Main occupants Top Shop will continue to operate while construction work takes place on a new arcade and courtyard link to the new Liverpool 1 retail scheme.
Last night, HMV said details of its temporary home could not be announced until an agreement had been reached. The Daily Post understands that the most likely location is the former gas showroom in Bold Street. Customers have been informed that a temporary store will reopen in around three weeks.
The music store is also in advanced negotiations with Grosvenor about a move to a large unit within the Paradise Street redevelopment, due to open in 2008.
Grosvenor will take possession of the building on February 12 to pave the way for the project. Last night, Grosvenor project director Rodney Holmes said: “This has been an amicable arrangement. The building was leased by HSBC Pension Fund to Arcadia (operators of Top Shop), who sub-lease part of the building to HMV.
“We made an arrangement that meant HMV vacating the building, but allowing Top Shop to remain trading whilst we carry out the work around them.
“The aim is to create a stunning link between Church Street and the Liverpool 1 scheme. The area was a church yard until the Woolworth building was constructed in the 1920s, and we aim to create a new court yard as a centrepiece of what will be a pedestrian link.”
A name has yet to be decided for the arcade, but it is likely to be linked to its previous history as a church yard.
Last night, a spokesman for HMV said: “HMV will be looking to open a landmark store in the new retail development, but in the meantime plans to relocate to a temporary site nearby.
“HMV hopes to announce details of this interim store within the next week, or so.”
by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post
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