Building work has begun on the new £40m exhibition centre and £26m integrated hotel on Liverpool's waterfront. Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, visited the construction site at Kings Dock on 17 February and was joined by ACC Liverpool chief executive Bob Prattey, ACC Liverpool chairman David McDonnell and ISG Construction MD Alan McCarthy-Wyper to see the scheme beginning to take shape. The 8,100sqm, three-hall exhibition centre and the 216-room 'headquarters' hotel will form part of ACC Liverpool, home to BT Convention Centre and Echo Arena. The Exhibition Centre is being delivered at no cost to council taxpayers. Funding is raised through borrowing, paid for through income generated by the centre. The city council is using this ‘invest to earn’ approach to drive forward new developments, with any surplus ploughed back into providing services.