LIVERPOOL’S Albert Dock complex is looking to grab a major slice of an estimated tens of millions of pounds of extra cash being spent by people spilling out of the new Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre in early 2008.
It has been estimated that in the first five months of the New Year, 350,000 people attending events at the arena and around 200,000 conference delegates will spend in excess of £20m outside of the main facility.
The Albert Dock, already Merseyside’s most popular free tourist attraction, is just yards away from the new complex and it is expected many of those extra visitors will make a beeline for its mix of restaurants, bars, museums and galleries.
It is estimated that during the five-month period, concertgoers will spend around £1.75m outside the Echo Arena and delegates to the BT Convention Centre, around £20m.
And the Dock expects a further boost from the new cruise liner facility just along the waterfront. During 2008 there will be 13 cruise calls with a total of 18,657 passengers spending an average of £70 per head.
Joe Edge, director of the Albert Dock Company, told the Daily Post: “Albert Dock has had an exceptional 2007 and we are excited about the future at the Dock.
“2008 sees the realisation of many years’ hard work by all of our partners. We are at the heart of the waterfront developments with the cruise liner terminal already open, Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre Liverpool, Liverpool One opening early 2008 and all of this will bring a new vitality to Liverpool and we are delighted to be at the heart of it.”
The Albert Dock has enjoyed something of a renaissance in 2007 after changing its focus from retail to leisure.
Premier Inn has taken an additional 30,000 sq ft while The Beatles Story is doubling the floor space it occupies. New tenants recently announced include Costa Coffee, Vinea, a specialist wine bar and merchant and Circo, which marks the return for the Korova Corporation and Rob Gutmann at the Albert Dock.
October saw the opening of the new Visitor Information Centre as part of the Waterfront Connections Project in partnership with Liverpool Vision and the Northwest Development Agency.
Premier Inn, the UK’s biggest hotel chain, is expanding its existing premises at the Dock to create an extra 56 new bedrooms and three new meeting rooms – increasing its overall capacity by over 43%. The hotel will occupy an extra 30,000 sq ft of space within the Albert Dock’s Britannia Building, taking the total number of bedrooms up to 186.
A refurbishment of the entire site, including the hotel’s bar and full service restaurant will be carried out, ensuring that the heritage of the building is preserved throughout.
tonymcdonough
