After three decades in the same hands the Macquarie Hotel in Liverpool has hit the market as the area is set to boom.
The long-term family partnership that holds the keys to the Macquarie, well-positioned amid the Liverpool city centre’s shopping district, is seeking the freedom to pursue individual interests and has chosen to divest the property.
White papers on the area suggest Liverpool is the State’s “third city” after Sydney and Parramatta, with plans for significant infrastructure expansion already underway.
“The Liverpool story is like no other at the moment, with the population forecast to double to 320,000 in the next 20 years and city planning codes allowing 100-metre height limits for commercial and residential tower developments – auguring well for city centre hotels like the Macquarie,” said JLL Hotels Director John Musca, who is marketing the hotel.
In a year that has already shown the desirability of both strong gaming hotels and those with potential in that area, the Macquarie’s 30 EGMs and 24-hour licence in Sydney’s gaming belt is likely to prove attractive.
Redcape, which is maintaining some mystery around its rumoured IPO later this year, purchased the Top 20 gaming pub Revesby’s Crown Hotel through JLL in February for around $33m, and the Landmark Hotel in Eastwood through Ray White in December for $25m.
Sources suggest the Macquarie Hotel is likely to fetch a figure in that same range.
“This hotel is on its way to being a Top 50 ranked gaming hotel in the State, and is perfectly positioned adjacent to a 440-car Council car park, and metres from rapidly developing Macquarie Mall, with new Aldi supermarket, close to the train station and sprawling Westfield Liverpool”, said Musca.
JLL Hotels is marketing the freehold going concern through public tender, closing 5 May, 2015.