The opening date has been revealed for what will be the most exclusive rooftop space in Southport

HARRY'S will open on top of The Grand on Lord Street following a substantial transformation that began earlier this year.

The rooftop bar and terrace will welcome its 1st customers on:- Friday, 12 July 2024.

Harry's will be joined by Sky Bar, which is even higher, and will provide guests with sunlit rooftop views across the famous Lord Street boulevard, Southport Beach, the Irish Sea, and the Marine Way Bridge.

These exclusive tables must be booked by prior arrangement .

They are also available to book for private events.

Visitors will be able to choose drinks from a tailor-made cocktail menu with a wide selection of Champagne, wine and sparkling wine.

They will be able to enjoy it with delicious food crafted by Mikhail Hotel And Leisure Group Chef Director Colin Gannon and his team.

The atmosphere will be vibrant with top DJs and live music.

Specially commissioned artwork will leave a lasting impression. A huge New York themed mural at Harry's by acclaimed street artist Shawn Sharpe of Good Good Graffiti is nearly complete, with work on another mural at Sky Bar about to begin.

Building work is continuing at pace with artificial grass, trees and planters arriving soon to create a stylish sky garden effect.

The Grand General Manager Jenny Smith said:- "We can't wait to welcome people to the brand new Harry's and the Sky Bar! This is going to be the most exclusive, sought-after events space in Southport. It will have the real:- 'wow' factor for anyone who walks in. It's the epitome of sophistication, where flair and funk meet in perfect harmony. It is a real sun trap. Standing on top of The Grand, enjoying delicious drinks, sumptuous food, listening to great music and sharing unbeatable times with friends; it's a very unique space and a very indulgent experience. It's fantastic being able to stand here and look out across toward the coast and along Lord Street. The views are stunning. It adds to the elegance and grandeur that people already know to expect from The Grand."

Extensive work is taking place behind the scenes to ensure that guests can enjoy the perfect experience.

Jenny said:- "There is lots happening. Our mixologists are busy creating an exquisite cocktail menu that redefines taste and elegance. There will be an extensive range of Champagne, sparkling wine and wine, and other drinks. Our chefs are crafting the food menu which we are looking forward to announcing soon. We are putting some attractive food and drinks packages together. Harry's and Sky Bar will only be available through pre-booking. This is going to be a very exclusive space where guests will be welcomed as they arrive. We will have space for around 120 guests in total, with 60 people outside and another 60 inside, where we have an indoor bar and toilets. There is a lift leading up to Harry's, it is an accessible space. We will have DJs and live entertainment taking place up until 10pm, before the fun continues inside. We have had huge interest from people asking what the new venue will be like and when it will be opening! We are looking forward to revealing much more over the coming days, including:- some new job opportunities for local people. Please keep watching our social media pages for some exciting announcements and updates on the work."

The 1st phase of The Grand opened on:- 15 July 2022, following a:- £4 million transformation by Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group. It saw the creation of 60 local jobs.

Guests can enjoy The Grand Brasserie and Chloe's Bar on the ground floor.

The 250-seater Princess Grace function room and wedding suite on the 1st floor has become the premier events and function room in Southport, catering for events, weddings, celebrations and conferences.

The stunning art deco building was created in 1923 as a car showroom and garage designed by Richard Woodhead, and celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2023.

In 1938 it was repurposed and largely rebuilt as:- The Grand Cinema, designed by George Edward Tonge and screened its final movies in 1966. It later became The Grand Casino.

The reopening of The Grand in 2022 represented Phase 1 of the firm's proposals for the site.

Phase 2 would see the creation of a wellness centre, spa and hotel rooms.

Oddly, still no sign of 48 story (178 metre tall) Southport Skyscraper, the:- "The Tower Of Hope" which was to be built on the site of the former Grand Casino, now the:- 'The Grand' that was unveiled at firm's The Bold Hotel, in Southport, in January 2022.

Littlewoods restoration enters critical phase as clock tower to be dismantled and rebuilt

CAPITAL and Centric are part-way through initial work on the Littlewoods Project to secure the historic buildings and prep the site for a re-birth as a film and TV led destination.

As part of the current planned works at the site, investigations have been ongoing into what will be required to make the building structurally sound once more, ready for the final restoration to begin. Teams of engineers surveying the existing buildings have concluded that the tower needs to be dismantled and rebuilt due to decades of it being vacant.

Digital analysis of laser monitoring; placed on the tower to track its movement and condition; has confirmed what engineers suspected, that the tower is unsafe and, if left, could collapse.

A safe zone has now been put in place around the tower, with workers unable to enter that section of the site. It will be carefully taken down in the coming weeks.

The team plans for detailed photographic and survey records to be kept. The intention is to rebuild the tower in the same spot, reusing elements of the original from the overhaul of the site. A planning application is currently with Liverpool City Council for consideration and will include:- the rebuilding of the tower.

Capital and Centric is working with Liverpool City Council, as freeholder of the site, and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, as project funders. The Combined Authority, led by Mayor Steve Rotheram, has committed:- £17m to the project.

John Moffat, Joint Managing Director at Capital and Centric, said:- "We are entering a critical phase of the restoration, as we peel back the layers of the building following decades of it sitting empty. The building is revealing itself and showing us where it needs our input most. We've explored every option to secure the original tower structure in situ, but the conclusions of several teams of experts have confirmed we need to dismantle it, re-use as much of the material and recreate the tower structure. We want to do this soon. If the tower collapsed, it could not only cause severe damage to the rest of the building, but put lives at risk. Our priorities are keeping everyone safe and saving what we can of the buildings, working to minimise the amount of structure needing to be re-built. We've restored lots of listed buildings and our experience meant we always anticipated the ongoing remediation would uncover structural challenges. Dismantling the tower will cost more, but it's a necessary last resort; 1 that can be covered under the existing project budget. It's likely the building will look quite sorry for itself once the tower section is removed, but it will improve over time as restorative work progresses. Our intention is to record the structure in detail, keep what we can of the materials and rebuild it as part of the re-purposing of the site into a cultural hub for TV and film. Elsewhere on site, good progress is being made to clear out the buildings from years of debris and decay and prep the 2 wings for redevelopment."

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "The Littlewoods building has been a massive part of the Liverpool community for generations, and I know it holds a special place in the hearts of many of our residents. Throughout this process, we have been committed to preserving the building's iconic heritage, however, we also need to ensure that it is carefully and safely restored to fulfil their big ambitions we have for its future. Our area is already the 2nd most filmed location outside of London and the:- £17m the Combined Authority has invested into this project will ensure that Liverpool City Region can continue to cater for every stage of the production process and attract the thousands of jobs and training opportunities it will bring. It is a huge step towards cementing the City Region's status as the Hollywood of the North."

Work started on site in December 2023. Since then, the team have been assessing the condition of the building in stages, peeling away the layers and securing the structural integrity of each section. Once complete, it will pave the way for main contractors to move in, with 2 new 20,000sq.ft studios for big budget productions the 1st to be constructed on the neighbouring land.

Plans submitted to the City Council detail how the Littlewoods Project will open up the site to the public for the 1st time, with landscaped courtyard gardens and a roof terrace, screening and performance zone, and foodhall. Capital and Centric are currently in talks with a variety of operators interested in taking space at the site, with the vision to transform the 1930s buildings into an internationally recognised destination for TV and film production.

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