WORK ON the first phase of the £180m Central Village scheme over Liverpool’s Central station is set to start in autumn.

Stephan Reinke, European managing director of design specialist Woods Bagot and the principal designer of the Central Village development, said the £70m first phase of the job could be completed within 30 months.

It will link with Grosvenor’s £1bn Liverpool One retail centre to lead people up to Mount Pleasant through Newington Plaza, a new square being created at the top of the first phase.

The second phase, comprising an hotel, loft offices and residential units, will continue up to Berry Street.

The scheme includes two new towers – dubbed Spencer and Kate after film stars Spencer Tracey and Katherine Hepburn – with more than 300 flatts, new shops and a "water stair" flowing the length of Bold Street over the underground rail tunnel.

Chicago-born Mr Reinke said his aim is to create a new "place" for Liverpool.

He said: "Everyone knows the Albert Dock and the Pier Head as a place; we are trying to create a place in Central Village, we are in the business of place making."

"Central station is the third busiest underground station in the UK, but it’s a little hole in the ground at the end of a little shopping mall. We’re going to drive sun and light into the station."

He said the promenade, part of the 16-metre wide water stair, will always be in the sunlight.

"We want to make a really nice edge for the colonnade of two storey shops and upmarket bars and restaurants."

He said the developer, Mere Park, is fully behind the quality of the design.

He said: "It’s good for the city and good for the heritage aspect."

Mr Reinke said talks are under way with Network Rail, which currently has a yard on the Central Village plot, and he hopes to begin foundation work this autumn.

The Central Village scheme formed part of Woods Bagot presentation at Mipim, the world’s biggest property convention taking place in Cannes this week.