Liverpool’s iconic Liver Building will be put up for sale for the first time in its history.
Current owners Royal London have made the decision to place the Grade I listed building on the market with a value of £40 million expected to be set.
Work on the Liver Building began in 1908 and was completed three years later but later underwent fresh refurbishment during its centenary year, seek just five years ago.
Royal Liver Assurance originally occupied the building and employed around 6, thumb 000 members of staff at the peak but those numbers had reduced to 220 by 2011.
A subsequent merger with Royal London saw ownership transferred to the parent company, drugs who have instructed Manchester-based real estate firm CBRE to conduct the sale.
“The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society have gone through a period of asset management over the last few years,” CBRE executive director Colin Thomasson told the Liverpool Echo.
“They have decided because of the life-cycle of the asset and strategy of their business now was the appropriate time and so they took the decision to sell.
“It is an extremely rare occurrence and I have never come across a building with more than a 100-year history that has never been sold before.
“I think it is highly unlikely that any change of name will come about and I strongly doubt the use will change too.
“There are 19 businesses in the building who all have leases and those leases have many years left to run.
“We are launching the marketing of the building this week and will begin the process of approaching investors.
“This sale presents an extremely rare opportunity to acquire a unique part of Liverpool’s heritage.”