A former theater frequented by George Harrison and John Lennon might be transformed into a supermarket.
Lidl is to construct a new multi-million-pound shop on the bottom floor of the old Abbey Cinema on Church Road North in Liverpool’s Wavertree neighborhood.
In their adolescence, the two Beatles lived nearby, often visiting and possibly drawing inspiration from the environment. It appears in both their personal writings and the lyrics of the band’s 1966 song In My Life.
While Lidl had intended to destroy the property, this proposal was abandoned after a successful effort to get the art deco theater classified.
According to the BBC, the grocery chain’s updated development plans call for the building to be “retain[ed] and enhanced,” while the surrounding neighborhood would be “revitalized.”
The former cinema was created by the well-known architect and Liverpool City Council chairman Sir Alfred Ernest Shennan, and it first opened its doors to the public in 1939, during the golden period of British movies, when customers came to the venues in droves.
The theater shuttered four decades later, in 1979, and was thereafter used as a bingo hall, snooker club, and three separate supermarkets.
After the Co-op relocated, Lidl purchased the property. According to the Liverpool Echo, the company claimed last year that the structure was ‘beyond economic repair’ after commissioning assessments.
A local community initiative, however, rescued the property from destruction. Following Love Wavertree’s Save The Abbey campaign, Historic England granted the abbey a Grade 2 designation in April 2021.
Among its other plans for the new shop, Lidl has said that it would keep and restore the front of the building, as well as generate 30 new full and part-time employment.
In addition, the store published a public consultation on the plans.
‘We have carefully listened to views from residents and stakeholder groups,’ said Stuart Jardine, Lidl GB’s regional head of property.
‘[We] feel our suggestions are the most realistic choice for revitalizing this region for the benefit of the local community.
‘We are glad to submit the revised proposals, which would not only provide locals with high-quality and inexpensive products from Lidl, but would also preserve and improve the old Abbey Cinema building.’