Comment: Liverpool in the shop window

Jan 24 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

IT IS hard to believe that, within just a few months, the tills will be ringing at Liverpool One. This incredible city centre destination seems to have been under construction forever – yet the reality is that it has taken just a few years to transform the heart of Liverpool.

Now the final countdown is under way towards the eagerly-anticipated opening in September.

Today, the Liverpool Daily Post reveals the world’s biggest catwalk will form a spectacular backdrop for the opening ceremony, stretching the length of St John Street between John Lewis and Debenhams, the two anchor stores at the heart of the £1bn project.

This innovative proposal is guaranteed to excite yet more interest in Liverpool, at a time when the city’s Capital of Culture celebrations will be in full swing.

No one could deny that the path to creating Liverpool One has been at times a rocky and uphill one.

The Big Dig has been a controversial part of Liverpool’s recent history. Just last year, the Daily Post revealed that contractors on the Paradise Street project had been given the go-ahead to continue vital waterfront road works for another 17 months. But even the keenest critics of the roadworks programme acknowledge that ultimately it will be of enormous value to the city.

Businesses and motorists will have to view the next series of roadworks – being introduced as the city council plans a traffic scheme allowing better access to Lord Street – in the same light.

There are those who fear the city’s transport system will struggle to cope with the throngs of visitors expected to pour through its doors ever day.

Much work has already been done on ensuring transport links run smoothly to Liverpool One, but the real test will come as the Christmas shopping frenzy gets under way.

But whether there are initial teething problems with the traffic system or not, one thing is certain; as a residential, retail and entertainment destination, Liverpool One will be a triumph.