by Denis Hall
Belfast’s Laganside Corporation has selected Enterprise International Development Co, Ewart and O’Hare & McGovern as developers of a £100m city-centre scheme.
Bounded by Oxford Street, East Bridge Street and the River Lagan, the 14.5-acre site has been earmarked for 425,000 sq ft of offices, up to 90,000 sq ft of retail, a 200-room international hotel, multi-storey car park and small marina.
The consortium was selected over shortlisted rivals Alpha Estates, Glenbank Estates and P&O Developments. Known as Laganbank, the site is owned by Belfast council, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Co and the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment.
Two of the consortium’s members — property developers Ewart and construction company O’Hare & McGovern — are familiar names in Northern Ireland. And it is hoped that the involvement of American developer James W Rouse’s planning consultancy, Enterprise International, will help to attract foreign funding and provide useful contacts in America.
In the United Kingdom, Enterprise have worked as consultants to Merlin International Properties on developments in Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham.
Enterprise have also partnered Merlin International Properties (Australia) on Sydney’s Darling Harbour development and the 170,000-sq ft Harbourside festival marketplace scheme.
Laganbank forms part of a 120-acre waterfront zone which Laganside corporation plans to regenerate over 15 years with £700m of investment.
The Laganside Concept Plan seeks to achieve a mixed-use development providing offices, retail, leisure and cultural facilities, housing and light industry.
There are seven other major sites to be developed within Laganside: Clarendon Dock, which has proposals for 1m sq ft of residential and commercial developent; the McCausland site, on which a £200m mixed-use scheme is now under way; Bridge End, where work on 46 flats is due to begin in the autumn; the Gasworks site, to be released for development once the land has been cleared; Ravenhill Reach, which will be released for residential development; Maysfield site, which is considered suitable for recreational and leisure facilities; and Abercorn Basin, considered suitable for long-term mixed-use development following the completion of the Cross Harbour Bridge.
