Famous sights: how
WHAT is happening with Southport’s landmark buildings? And what could they become? Last year was a perilous time for some of our favourite venues.
Last March saw Debenhams and Beales department stores on Lord Street both shut in March. Places such as the Grand Casino on Lord Street had sat empty and vandalised for years.
Things are looking up for some of them with work taking place – sod the future looks bright for that casino, the new Southport Market, and the replacement of Southport Theatre & Convention Centre.
Some exciting investment opportunities remain for others, especially in light of the £38.5million Town Deal funding from the Government.
What would you like to see these buildings become? Please let us know!
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Mecca Bingo has announced that its premises on Lord Street in Southport will not be reopening after the national Covid-19 lockdown ends.
The bingo hall has entertained many thousands of guests for eyes down inside one of Lord Street’s grandest buildings, the former Garrick Theatre.
It was built in 1932 and designed by architect George Tonge.
A Save The Garrick Theatre campaign has been established.
Some have called for it to be reopened as a theatre, while Southport Theatre & Convention Centre is rebuilt; others would like to see it become a casino; a pub; a cinema; or a gym. The former ABC Cinema across the road was converted into apartments three decades ago. Could it become a new living space?
What it could become:
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: Botanic Gardens Museum was opened in 1876.
The famous showman Phineas T. Barnum was an advisor in the construction of the museum, and his top hat was on display there.
The Botanic Gardens Museum was closed on 24 April 2011, with its exhibits dispersed. The famous Martin Mere canoe is now displayed in The Atkinson on Lord Street.
What it could become:
A living history museum? Function and wedding venue? Hotel?
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The new-look Beales on Lord Street in Southport is getting ready to welcome back shoppers this summer! Building work and fitting out at the department store is currently taking place with a view to opening this August. An extensive staff recruitment process is underway.
The site has a huge history in our town having been a department store for 139 years, home to businesses including Broadbents and Boothroyds.
What it could become:
department store
A new
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This former department store has been empty and a target for vandalism since BHS closed in April 2016, so great to see it being brought back into use.
Plans have now been revealed to create 30 new aparthotel rooms on the four upper floors, with shops, a restaurant and a bar on the ground floor.
JSM Company Group, based in Liverpool, is behind the scheme.
Their company Prestige Stay will run the building as an apart hotel.
Aparthotel, shops, restaurant and bar.
What it could become:
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Now that work is taking place on bringing two of Southport’s former department stores in Beales and BHS back to life – what of Debenhams? Debenhams on Lord Street closed in March last year, the same month as Beales nearby.
Redevelopment plans further along Lord Street suddenly make this a more attractive proposition for investors.
The building also sits in the burgeoning ‘Northern Quarter’ of Lord Street, while £75million is due to be invested in creating a new ‘Marine Lake Events Centre’ nearby.
When the Southport Town Deal consultation took place last year, one of their ‘Big Ideas’ was to convert this building into new co-working office space, cafe and apartments, which could, in turn, attract more quality restaurants and bars into vacant units nearby.
What it could become:
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Essential repairs have now been carried out at one of Southport’s most historic landmark buildings.
With the new £75million Marine Lake Events Centre due to open nearby and ambitious plans for the Genting Casino site, this site has huge potential.
Sefton Council employed masonry and building conservation specialists Maysand to carry out restoration works at Victoria Baths, which was built during the Victorian era, in a £462,526 project.
The stunning Grade II Listed building, which was once home to the Palm Court and Manhattans nightclubs, has been empty for the past 15 years.
What it could become:
hotel? Luxury spa?
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Boutique
Ainsdale Beach is one of the most stunning beaches in the UK.
The beauty spot is surrounded by beautiful lakes, pine woods and sand dunes too.
The potential for this area is huge yet sadly, Toad Hall and The Sands pub have sat empty and derelict for years. What would you like to see this area become? Sefton Council is currently running a public consultation which sets out its vision for improving and investing in facilities at Ainsdaleon-Sea. The consultation will run until September 30, 2021 and asks for views on the wider development of the coastal gateway including the Sands Lake and Hotel area, Toad Hall and Ainsdale Discovery Centre.
A new hotel? New apartments? Visitor centre? Restaurant and bar?
What it could become:
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Is Southport train station the ugliest railway station in Britain? It must be close.
As first impressions go for people arriving in Southport, it’s not great.
Last year, an artist’s impression was released of a potential ‘transport interchange’ to replace the current concrete carbuncle, which itself replaced the much more elegant Chapel Street Train Station.
The spectacular state-of-the-art interchange facility would include facilities for train / bus / pedestrian / and cycle.
The scheme would also include a new multi-storey car park, offices, cafes and convenience shops.
Sadly, it was not progressed under the final Southport Town Deal sub