Charity snaps up new city centre HQ for £5m

Jul 24 2008 by Alex Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

GENTING Stanley has sold its Liverpool city centre headquarters for £5m to Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (LCVS).

The gaming group, which as Stanley Leisure was one of Merseyside’s best-known business names, moved its headquarters to Birmingham when it rebranded last year.

Stanley Casinos will continue as a tenant in Stanley House, Dale Street, for the foreseeable future, housing part of its finance and IT operations, but Stanley Bet International will leave in November.

The company currently operates four casinos in Merseyside, – Circus, in Queen Square, which opened in December, and three under its Mint brand, in Birkenhead, Southport and Renshaw Street, Liverpool.

Chris Connor, a director at property agency Mason Owen’s Liverpool office, who acted for Genting Stanley, said: “When we were appointed, it quickly became apparent to me this would be perfect for LCVS.ŠGenting Stanley is delighted with the price we have achieved, particularly as the company will remain as tenants of LCVS.”

LCVS, which has been based in Castle Street for more than 90 years, had been searching for a new home for six years before settling on the five-floor building.

Alan Lewis, chief executive of LCVS, said: “We are very lucky to have purchased such a superb building in a terrific location as our new home. Once our funding package was in place, we completed the deal.”

The organisation employs 70 people and offers support and advice to more than 350 local charities and its new head office will also provide affordable, accessible office space for other charities.

The purchase is being made with a £2m loan from the Cooperative Bank and the remainder from charitable organisations. Currently, it pays rent of around £57,000 a year.