Graham lands first tower on £1.2bn Liverpool Kings waterfront

Graham has won the race to build the first tower on the £1.2bn Kings waterfront development in Liverpool — a 28-storey building carrying 255 new homes for rent.

The contractor takes on No.1 Kings, the "pathfinder" tower for the wider site. Metropolitan Demolition has already cleared the plot. Work can now start.

The scheme's numbers are concrete. No.1 Kings will deliver 255 build-to-rent homes (homes owned and let by a single operator rather than sold individually), plus ground-floor retail, first-floor resident amenities and rooftop social spaces. The tower carries a gross development value of £80m.

What does the funding signal?

Hugh Frost, Chairman of developer Beetham Davos Limited, said the project's shareholders are fully funding the tower — a deliberate statement to the market.

"We've fired the starting gun and continue to push on with the Kings development in the background," Frost said. "The tower is fully-funded by the project's shareholders, so the market can see confidence in the vision."

He set a high bar for the finished product: "No.1 Kings will raise the bar as far as design, fit-out and amenities go. Its delivery will underpin our discussions with end-users for the Kings development and be a catalyst for wider redevelopment."

Frost added: "It's great to have the Graham team on board, who impressed us with their commitment and their enthusiasm to be part of the transformational redevelopment Kings represents."

Why the contractor calls it a game-changer

Peter Reavey, Regional Director for Graham, framed the project in regional terms.

"Kings is the largest single regeneration project outside London and there's no doubt it will be a game-changer for Liverpool's economy," Reavey said. "We're delighted to once again have the opportunity to demonstrate our high rise, build to rent capabilities in the city and are now busy mobilising to meet the client's timescales."

The phrase "once again" points to Graham's existing track record on high-rise build-to-rent work in Liverpool.

Nine buildings, up to 70 storeys

The wider Kings masterplan includes nine buildings. Heights range from 28 storeys at No.1 Kings to a five-star hotel and residences tower reaching 70 storeys — subject to planning consent.

The consultant team is set:

• Brock Carmichael — masterplan architects
• SimpsonHaugh — designers of the potentially 70-storey centrepiece
• Pegasus Group — planning, economics, heritage and EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) services
• Planit — public realm design
• WSP — highways advice

What happens next

Graham is mobilising now to meet the client's timescales. No.1 Kings' delivery is positioned as the proof point Beetham Davos needs: its completion will anchor negotiations with end-users across the remaining eight buildings, unlocking the wider £1.2bn redevelopment.