By Andrew Brown, Stand Up For Southport
This sensational image reveals how a stunning new landmark for Southport – named ‘The Tower Of Hope’ – would look.
Designed to be one of the North’s tallest towers, it would stand on Lord Street in Southport town centre and would be one of the tallest buildings outside of London.
One of Southport’s biggest investors is leading the feature on the coastline which promises to generate scores of new jobs and attract visitors from far and wide.
In July last year it was revealed that one of Southport’s most iconic buildings, the former Grade II Listed Grand Casino, was due to be transformed by Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group.
The firm already operates successful venues on Lord Street in Southport including The Bold Hotel, the Lord Street Hotel, Lord Street Sports Bar and Punch Tarmey’s Irish Pub, while also operating the feature bar inside Southport Market.
The Tower Of Hope, with design and imagery by Southport-based Clayton Architecture, will provide a huge boost to ‘The Northern Quarter’ of Southport in particular, attracting further visitors and investment.
With work having already started on Phase One at the former Grand Casino, the plans for the site are now reaching for the stars with grand designs to build one of the North West’s tallest buildings to compliment the look of the art-modern design of the original building.
The tower is set to stand 48 stories high and 178 metres tall.
It will house over :
- 140 high quality one, two and three bedroom residential apartments
- Top quality restaurant
- 109 five star hotel rooms
- Amazing wedding venue
- Fun-themed bar
- Substantial car park
Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group is keen to promote social health and wellbeing so will also be providing a health and wellbeing centre for the local community.
This will include a state-of-the-art gym and spa, along with providing green spaces for exercise and community activities to support people with physical and mental health needs.
The tower is expected to attract thousands of tourists to Southport, creating a huge number of local jobs.
It will also attract new visitors to benefit nearby small businesses, supporting the local economy.
The scheme also aims to attract a new generation of people looking to live and work in Southport.
Andrew Mikhail said: “This will be the single biggest project that will have come to Southport since anyone can remember.
“New York City started with a single brick once upon a time as did London and every major city and town.
“We need to cherish our past and we should be building our own future so other generations can bask in our glory rather than continuously referring back to our past.
“A great philosopher once said ‘the secret of change is to focus all your energy on not fighting the old but on building the new’.”
He added: “The plans for this landmark building incorporating The Grand Casino will connect the past, present and future of Southport together. My aim is to build phase 1 and the hotel then any profits proceeding the sales of apartments will ALL go to a charity or charities of the local people’s choice.”
The Mikhail Hotel & Leisure Group already owns some of Southport’s most striking and favourite venues including The Bold Hotel, Lord Street Hotel, Punch Tarmey’s Irish Pub, Lord Street Sports Bar and is also the operator of the fabulous new development at Southport Market.
Andrew Mikhail has worked closely with Sefton Council on previous local projects and intends to work with them again to ensure that the plans for the tower meet the needs of the area.
Andrew Mikhail said: “I’m proud to continue to invest in Southport.
“Having already invested millions of pounds into our current developments in Southport’s Northern Quarter I can’t thank Sefton Council enough for all their help in achieving the first two phases of this investment which has given me the confidence to carry on.
“We are looking forward to sitting down with all the relevant parties at Sefton Council and getting this final and largest phase over the line.
“The recent £38.5million Town Deal funding announcement has been a great boost for Southport and on the back of those funds hopefully more investment will flood into Southport like the one we are proposing now.
“The council anticipates over £400million of private sector investment will follow the Town Deal schemes and The Tower of Hope will be a major contributor to this, further stimulating the local economy.
“These are very exciting times for Southport town centre again.”
Plans and further details about the project will be available to view at an event at The Bold Hotel in Southport on a date to be announced soon.
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