Mann Island-A Tale of Two Cities.

Here we go with the ongoing destruction of Liverpool's World Heritage Site.
The Three Ugly Sisters were bailed out by the NWDA, I thought this was a viable business deal not a publicly funded show.
The land at Mann Island was given to Neptune already subsidised from the public purse. It was too cheap in my opinion and lacked credible scrutiny.
The money from this land sale then has funded the New Museum.
The Bail out deal that was done was to bring Merseytravel into the third and most ugly building of the trio...not yet built, yes it will be even worse than the image adjacent.
http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/04/mann-island-bail-out.html
Neil Scales of Merseytravel is a bit of a one having cut the historic U-Boat at Woodside into five, that was rescued from the bottom of a freezing sea and brought here by campaigners. He seems to meddle with everything. And get it wrong.
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2008/03/11/nazi-u-boat-sails-to-final-resting-place-in-wirral-64375-20602463/
Right next to Mann Island on the other corner of the Strand and James Street ( to take both picures I did not move) is the White Star Building laying empty and falling into decay. Erected in 1898. It was designed by Norman Shaw with Francis J Doyle and like Scotland Yard is striped with bands of brick.




A tale of Two Cities where one listed building lays empty and government money sponsors leaving it empty by funding the building of another right next to it.

This was the headquarters of White Star and when the Titanic, registered in Liverpool, was sunk thousands waited outside for news of their relatives and loved ones.
Those tragic events unfolded as part of our historic fabric.
Right next to this building in James Street Merseytravel run James Street Station.

What fate will now befall this handsome building while boring boxes get built all around it.
Should the encouragement be to look after our historic fabric not walk past it while it decays.
The left side just off camera is the only New York Style cast iron gravity fire escape I know of in the city.