The first phase of work to transform an historic former town hall in Wirral into a major visitor destination has begun.
Hoylake’s Victorian civic building is to be become the Beacon Arts Village and will feature a two-screen cinema, a fine dining restaurant, bar and café bistro, as well as 18 creative studio and retail spaces for artists and makers around a central courtyard.
In subsequent phases upper floors of the development will provide 40 apartments, using private funding.
The developer and site owner is Wirral-based Hylgar Properties who, with local group Hoylake Village Life CIC, successfully bid for £3.64m of Coastal Communities Fund, a government grant designed to help coastal communities flourish and strengthen their appeal as places to live, work and visit.
The appointed contractor and project managers for phase one is Hamilton Oakmont, specialists in both new construction and conversions of existing buildings. Specialist construction consultant is Brian Corfe, managing partner of BIAC Consultants and a former MD of Balfour Beatty. Architects for the project are Falconer Chester Hall of Liverpool.
The first phase works includes internal and external demolitions and construction, including new roofing. The ground floor is to consist of the restaurant and bar, a new build kitchen and a newly-formed covered courtyard space with kitchen space.
The first floor will consist of a two-screen cinema, with acoustic installation, a newly-constructed toilet block and refurbished creative industry office/studio spaces. The exterior of the building is to be retained and cleaned.
Source: Construction starts on Wirral cinema & arts village project | Business Up North