A new padel club could take over the former Liverpool Daily Post & ECHO print hall in Liverpool city centre. Plans to convert the building on the corner of King Edward Street and Brook Street into a state-of-the-art padel club are currently being discussed with Liverpool City Council.
Proposed facilities and courts
The proposals include competition-standard padel courts with a training academy, spa and recovery facility, gym, bar and kitchen, and a shop selling sportswear and equipment, together with a dedicated co-working, networking and corporate hire space. The 39,500sq.ft building fronts King Edward Street and the deal incorporates adjacent land, until recently used as a surface car park.
The proposals provide 10 padel courts, to include eight doubles and two singles courts.
Building history and current status
Printing of the newspapers at the site ceased in 2008. The Liverpool ECHO continues to be based in St Paul's Square in Liverpool city centre, a stone's throw from its Old Hall Street offices which were vacated in 2018. That building is now the INNSiDe hotel.
The huge Goss printing machines and folding and assembly lines remain in place, and work has now begun to dismantle them.
Developer's vision and timeline
John Fay, speaking on behalf of Echo Padel, said: "We're incredibly excited about what this building can become. We see it playing an important role both for the business district and the wider city centre."
"The age of the social city is here, with workers and residents embracing lifestyles that increasingly blur the lines between socialising and working."
Fay added: "Padel will be at the heart of what we're creating, but this is about much more than courts. We want to create a destination where people can play, train, work, meet, eat, recover and spend time together, all under one roof."
"Its location in the heart of Liverpool's business district gives us an incredible opportunity to create somewhere that becomes part of everyday life in the city."
"Somewhere you might come for a game before work, meet somebody over coffee, work for a few hours, close business deals, train at lunchtime or stay into the evening."
"We want to create somewhere that respects where the building has come from while giving Liverpool something completely new. The Print Hall has told some incredible stories over the years. We're excited to start writing the next one."
"We are on schedule to submit a planning application in the coming days, with a target opening date of Q2 2027, subject to approval."
