Liverpool in the north west of England is back to square one with its plans after a report in the local press said the council has been forced to abandon a plan to convert former head office of Cunard Line into a cruise terminal due to "astronomical cost."
Mayor Anderson said a report commissioned by the council about the feasibility of the project– which it is not releasing until the end of the month – suggests the price tag to convert the Cunard would have been anything from £5 million to £60 million, Liverpool Echo reported on its website.
In order to satisfy border control requirements, options including creating a monorail from the building to the embarking point would have had to be considered. In a statement, Mayor Anderson said: “The report, although not public, is commercially sensitive, but I am revealing today...that there are a number of options put forward and costs. We must in addition to cost be mindful of the fact that we do not want to do anything that impacts on the World Heritage site the building is on.
“In light of these findings it is clear we will not be able to progress with this plan. However, I want to reassure the city that we will find a solution and we will create a first class cruise liner terminal for our city and we have already begun conversations about other possible waterfront locations,” the mayor was reported as saying.
The city council purchased the listed building that was constructed in 1914-17 last year. it is located at the Pier Head, one of the most famous shipping landmarks of the world. Liverpool currently handles both cruise calls and turn arounds by using a temporary structure near ther Pier Head.
