Liverpool City Council has chosen Inspire Partnership for the £50 million Liverpool Central Library and Archive PFI contract, following an exhaustive Europe-wide search for a blue chip development partner.

The successful contractor is a joint venture between Amber Infrastructure and Shepherd Construction.

Central Library - which is located in the heart of Liverpool's cultural quarter on William Brown Street - has gradually fallen into disrepair over many decades. It suffers from damp and a leaking roof.

Under the scheme, the Grade II listed parts of the building which date back to 1850, including the façade and famous Picton, Hornby and Oak Reading Rooms, will be restored to their former glory.

The sections behind the façade which were built in the 1950s and 1970s following World War Two bomb damage will be demolished and rebuilt to make the most of the available space. The new library will be open and inviting giving the public access to enhanced facilities in a landmark building.

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The project will include a new home for the Liverpool Record Office which will house some of the city's most historic treasures from the last 800 years - such as the original 1207 charter - in purpose built secure, climate controlled storage.

There will also be state-of-the-art IT facilities which will allow young people to download music and games onto MP3 and MP4 players, with wi-fi and access to computers.

The building is due to close in June 2010, and will take three months to empty completely before construction work commences.

Joyce Little, Head of Liverpool's Libraries and Information Service, said: "The historic parts of the building are magnificent, and this scheme will enable us to restore them to their former glory. The two redevelopments that took place after the Second World War do not fit together very well and it is hard for people to find their way around the building.

"This much-needed scheme gives us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the building into one of the best libraries in the country. I am delighted with the quality of the successful bid, and we are now preparing in earnest to empty the building and move the project forward."

Mike Leto from Inspire Partnership said: "The Inspire Partnership team is truly proud to have been awarded this opportunity to deliver a world class library experience for the City of Liverpool and to contribute an outstanding feature of historical, aesthetic and cultural importance to the Liverpool landscape."

Planning permission and Listed Building Consent for the scheme were granted on 12 January 2010.

(CD/KMcA)