# Fruit Exchange Building

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The **Fruit Exchange Building** is [Grade II](/source/Grade_II) [listed building](/source/Listed_building) on [Victoria Street](/source/Victoria_Street,_Liverpool) in [Liverpool](/source/Liverpool), England.

## History

Constructed around 1888, the building was originally designed as a railway depot for [London & North Western Railway](/source/London_%26_North_Western_Railway) .[2] From the 1860s, Victoria Street was the location of many offices and commercial buildings that meant it played a key part during the growth of Liverpool.[3] During the later part 19th century, the street became home to fruit and produce dealers and their warehouses, aided by its proximity to the [docks](/source/Port_of_Liverpool) and [Liverpool Exchange railway station](/source/Liverpool_Exchange_railway_station).[4]

The building was converted from a railway depot into a fruit exchange in 1923. It was situated next to the [Produce Exchange Buildings](/source/Produce_Exchange_Buildings,_Liverpool), which was also a converted railway depot.[5] The building and was still in use as a fruit exchange in the late 1960s.[6] The office and exchange hall parts of the building have lain empty for many years and have been part of the [Liverpool Echo](/source/Liverpool_Echo) 'Stop the rot' campaign.[7]

The warehouse part of the building that backs onto [Mathew Street](/source/Mathew_Street) originally held [Eric's Club](/source/Eric's_Club) and later the Rubber Soul bar. [8] During its four-year lifespan, Eric's hosted local bands such as [Dead or Alive](/source/Dead_or_Alive_(band)), [Echo & the Bunnymen](/source/Echo_%26_the_Bunnymen) and [Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark](/source/Orchestral_Manoeuvres_in_the_Dark) as well as international acts like [U2](/source/U2), [Talking Heads](/source/Talking_Heads) and [The Ramones](/source/The_Ramones).

Plans to convert the front part of the building into an 85-bedroom hotel were approved by [Liverpool City Council](/source/Liverpool_City_Council) in 2020.[9]

## Description

The building is split into two halves; the front block having been offices and the back block containing the exchange halls and offices.[1] The ground floors and warehouses have been converted into a pub / bar, but the main exchange hall remains relatively untouched.

## References

1. ["FRUIT EXCHANGE, Non Civil Parish - 1392539 | Historic England"](https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1392539?section=official-list-entry). *historicengland.org.uk*. Retrieved 27 May 2024.

1. ["Unseen footage captures the Fruit Exchange as you've never seen it before"](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/unseen-footage-captures-fruit-exchange-16911185). Retrieved 27 May 2024.

1. ["Victoria Street: Victorian with a vengeance – Liverpool History Society"](https://liverpoolhistorysociety.org.uk/image_of_the_week/victoria-street-victorian-with-a-vengeance/). Retrieved 27 May 2024.

1. ["Looking at Buildings: Victoria Street"](https://www.lookingatbuildings.org.uk/cities/liverpool/victoria-street.html). *www.lookingatbuildings.org.uk*. Retrieved 27 May 2024.

1. Stuff, Good. ["Produce Exchange Buildings, Central, Liverpool"](https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101062566-produce-exchange-buildings-central-ward). *britishlistedbuildings.co.uk*

1. Bennett, John (19 May 2019). ["Abandoned Liverpool - the city's history told through 7 empty buildings"](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/dark-liverpool-7-places-left-16273217). *Liverpool Echo*. Retrieved 27 May 2024.

1. Tyrrell, Nick (1 January 2020). ["The crumbling buildings we want to see restored to glory in 2020"](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/ten-crumbling-liverpool-buildings-want-17486614). *Liverpool Echo*. Retrieved 27 May 2024.

1. Molyneux, Jess & Bona, Emilia (4 April 2020). ["88 beloved bars and nightclubs we have lost down the years"](https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/59-old-bars-nightclubs-wish-16611657). *Liverpool Echo*. Retrieved 27 May 2024.

1. Whelan, Dan (23 April 2020). ["Fruit Exchange hotel wins approval"](https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/fruit-exchange-hotel-wins-approval/). *Place North West*. Retrieved 27 May 2024.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fruit Exchange Building](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_Exchange_Building) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_Exchange_Building?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.