October 15 2004

Plans have been unveiled for a £50 million mixed-use development in the heart of Chester city centre, designed by local practice McCormick Architecture for developers Liberty Properties Plc. The 6-storey scheme, to be called HQ, will contain a hotel, restaurants, apartments, offices and a large public square and will replace the former headquarters of Cheshire Constabulary, a ten-storey concrete building which has long been regarded by many locals as an eyesore.

The scheme is expected to create 1000 new jobs, and Liberty Properties plan to stage a public forum to allow the people of Chester to comment on the designs. If planning permission is granted, construction is due to start on site in summer 2005 and should be complete by autumn 2006.
Development director of Liberty, Paul Norman, said: “There was a strict planning brief set out by the City council which stated that the site must encourage redevelopment into a multi-purpose site that would create significant employment. We believe our proposal meets these criteria perfectly.”

Phil McCormick, senior partner with McCormick Architecture, said: “We are delighted to prove that regional architects can win this kind of project. The building does not seek to replicate existing buildings but responds to the development brief and the unique nature of its site and provides a modern dynamically shaped structure - a circular space reminiscent of the city’s Roman amphitheatre.”

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