On sale for first time ever, Liverpool’s Liver landmark
The Royal Liver Building in Liverpool has been put up for sale for the first time in its history.
The building – home to the city’s famous liver birds – is expected to sell for £40million.
It is owned by insurance firm Royal London, which took over Royal Liver Assurance in 2011.
The firm had commissioned the grade I-listed building in 1908 and it was completed 105 years ago.
Colin Thomasson, of commercial estate agents CBRE, which is selling the building, said: ‘It is an extremely rare occurrence and I have never come across a building with more than a 100-year history that has never been sold before.’
The building is a prominent part of the Liverpool waterfront, which is a Unesco world heritage site. It is one of the city’s Three Graces, along with the Cunard Building and the former offices of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board.
Royal London moved its business out of the building in 2011, leasing the offices. Mr Thomasson said: ‘I think it is highly unlikely that any change of name will come about and I strongly doubt the use will change too. There are 19 businesses in the building who all have leases and those leases have many years left to run.
The liver birds are each 18ft tall with a wingspan of 24ft, and they were designed by a German sculptor.