The site of the former St Johns Market is to be offered out by Liverpool Council in a bid to find new occupiers. It was confirmed back earlier this year the city centre location, which was closed down in a row over unpaid rents last year, will not be reopened as a market again.
Last March, traders were locked out of the site over unpaid rents dating back to 2020, totalling around £2.1m. Now the local authority has partnered with Avison Young to put the 90,000sq ft site out for offers.
The location, which stretches across the basement, ground and mezzanine levels, is being made available for new opportunities in retail, leisure, entertainment or creative sectors. Cllr Nick Small, Liverpool Council cabinet member for growth and economy, said the market represented an "incredible opportunity for something different and exciting to come to the streets of the city centre".
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Around £2.5m was spent to renovate the site nine years ago but proved unpopular, even with then Mayor Joe Anderson, who initially offered traders three, then six months free rent as an incentive to stay and increase footfall. In 2020, rent and service charges were reintroduced to traders after little improvement following the botched doll-up of the site and payments were expected.
In October 2023, Cllr Liam Robinson, leader of the city council, told the LDRS it was time "traders have to think about how they are going to cover their costs" but wanted to work with individual businesses to achieve the money owed. When the doors closed last year, there were 104 units within the market, with 62 occupied.
It is thought this was made up of 42 tenants, each paying individually set rates of rent according to previous agreements signed with the council.
Further investigations by officers found arrears incurred by dozens of businesses had risen from an initially established £1.7m to £2.1m.
The property features double-height ceilings and open-plan layouts, offering flexibility for a range of uses. Visitors benefit from dedicated street-level access, as well as DDA-compliant entry via St Johns Shopping Centre.
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The space is equipped with internal lift access, extensive basement servicing areas, and dedicated goods lifts. Additionally, the site has access to more than 600 on-site parking spaces.
It has been shuttered to customers since last year. Cllr Small said: "This is an incredible opportunity for something different and exciting to come to the streets of the city centre.
"Any plans submitted would be subject to planning, but Liverpool City Council is committed to revitalising this key city centre asset. We welcome interest from parties looking to contribute to the vibrancy and economic growth of Liverpool."
Joel Lawson, director at Avison Young, added: "St Johns Market presents a rare opportunity to repurpose a landmark city centre property in the heart of Liverpool's retail core. Its scale, prominence and location – immediately adjacent to Liverpool Lime Street and Central Station – make it an exceptional opportunity for a wide variety of potential occupiers.
"We're delighted to be supporting Liverpool Council, working with Rivington Hark as landlord, to bring the site to market and anticipate strong interest from occupiers seeking to capitalise on high levels of footfall and ongoing momentum in the city's occupier market."