When George Henry Lee opened his first store on Basnett Street in Liverpool city centre in 1853, it would lay the foundations for a brand that is now known by generations of Liverpudlians.
The building was later bought by John Lewis in 1940. In the 1960s the commercial space was merged with the Bon Marche store next door, which faced ontoShock and anger as Boots to close Liverpool city centre store While an icon of Renshaw Street, the DIY shop did not have as long a period in its new home. It closed down in 2017 with the former George Henry Lee structure largely vacant ever since.
Now fresh proposals are aiming to breathe new life into the building. Earlier this month plans to transform the former George Henry Lee’s Building into a luxury hotel were revealed. Proposals fromwould see the conversion of the former department store into a 175-room hotel in partnership with Parisian brand Accor Mama Shelter.