And another one (or several - depending on what they own) bites the dust.
MORE than 100 staff at city bars located in buildings owned by property firm Concert Steps face losing their jobs after the company’s assets were taken over by receivers.
Bailiffs arrived at the Koco bar, on the corner of Concert Square yesterday, to remove goods and chain up the building.
It is not known how many buildings in the area have been taken back by London-based Jorden Salata. on the instructions of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation.
But it is understood Concert Steps owns around 20 properties in the Ropewalks area which have now been taken over by the Mayfair-based receivers.
Concert Steps Ltd is partly owned by city property developer Max Stone, who played a major role in the regeneration of the Ropewalks.
The sudden closure of the bar last night – ahead of an expected rush of celebrating A-Level students – was a massive blow for staff at Koco.
Today, well-placed sources said that news of what was happening had been scarce since the receivers were appointed on June 11 this year.
Records lodged with Companies House only reveal that the receivership relates to “part of the property of the company”, but it is not known exactly how many buildings are affected.
A source at the club said: “We’ve heard absolutely nothing from the receivers since June. We were trying to negotiate a new lease with the Irish Bank and the receivers, but apparently they were not interested in anything we had to offer.
“There are about 90 staff working here, and as of today it’s closed down for good.
“Tonight was supposed to be a massive night with the A-Level results, but now it’s not happening.”
Developer Mr Stone has been a constant presence on the Ropewalks scene, both through Concert Steps and his other company, Frenson.
He was previously involved in the notorious Charterhouse deal with the post-Militant Liverpool council, which in the early 1990s, strapped for cash, sold an estate of 309 properties in the Ropewalks area to the company.
But, when Charterhouse collapsed in 1992, owing the council £3m, Mr Stone’s company Frenson bought the estate from the receivers for £5m, understood to be significantly less than its total value.
Mr Stone, who was a shareholder and director of Charterhouse, clashed with the council in 2007 over the Scandinavia Hotel, near Chinatown, which it owned and was the subject of rival bids.
He said at the time that the council’s offer of a £600,000 compulsory purchase for the building Frenson owned was “derisory”.
The normally outspoken Mr Stone did not wish to talk to the ECHO about Concert Steps, according to staff at the Gambier Terrace offices of Frenson.
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http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2012/08/17/receivers-move-in-on-liverpool-bars-as-banks-reclaim-assets-held-by-company-part-owned-by-developer-max-stone-100252-31640870/#ixzz23nhhxzH3