Liverpool's historic Martins Bank building on Water Street, empty for over 17 years, could be transformed into Grade A office space with a ground-floor hospitality venue under revised planning applications submitted to Liverpool City Council this week (October 12).
Historic building's long vacancy
Built as the head office for Martins Bank between 1927 and 1932, the Grade II* listed building is described in Pevsner's architectural guide to Liverpool as "the masterpiece of Herbert J. Rowse [architect] and among the very best interwar classical buildings in the country".
Martins Bank merged with Barclays in 1969, and the building continued as a Barclays branch until it closed in 2009. It has remained empty since, standing as one of the most imposing structures in the city's former financial district.
Previous plans and delays
Plans to restore the building were approved by Liverpool City Council in December 2022. Those proposals, involving majority-owners Karrev, a London-based property investor owned by Thibault Jean-Francois Marie Jurie Des Camiers, and developer Kinrise, envisaged 140,000 sq ft of offices, a restaurant, and a social space in the former banking hall.
The central hall was planned as a "culturally engaging, multifaceted space" with a café, restaurant, meeting, co-working, and event areas. Completion was targeted for 2024, but that did not happen. In 2024, Kinrise confirmed it was no longer involved, and the scheme was delayed until at least 2026.
New applications and funding
Earlier this year, former Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced support for major heritage regeneration in the Central Business District, delivering a further 140,000 sq ft of Grade A workspace through restoration of long-vacant heritage assets. The Liverpool ECHO understands this will include funding to help progress the Martins Bank Building redevelopment.
Karrev's new applications include a heritage statement from 2022 stating: "The principal use will be offices, which means that the alterations to the building will be minimised to the benefit of its historic and architectural interest."
The statement adds: "On the ground floor within the original banking hall, it is proposed to create a food hospitality venue which shall support the coworking element of the building. This will open the whole of the ground floor to the general public."
Design plans from last month suggest the hospitality venue will be a café, though no proprietor has been confirmed. Karrev director Juan Burnfosse told Place North West he hoped the building would open in 2028. The ECHO approached Karrev for comment.
