Belfast celebrates completion of £400m Victoria Square regeneration

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Communities and also in Local Government

The regeneration of Belfast took another major leap forward today with the opening of at £400 million city centre redevelopment scheme.

"A development like this only happens once in a lifetime and it is far more than the simple sum of its component parts," said Paul Sargent, managing director of Dutch developers Multi Development UK , as he took the wraps off the 800,000 sq ft Victoria Square project.

He said that working with the Department of Regional Development they had built far more than a shopping centre.

"We have created a catalyst for the sustainable regeneration of Northern Ireland's capital city.

"This is the new social and cultural meeting point for a once divided city."

He added: "It is at the cutting edge, it is a public space and I challenge anyone to see if they can see anything like this in Europe.

It has been nearly a decade in the planning and building and Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie told a news conference it was part of the peace dividend for Northern Ireland.

"It points to a new confidence among investors and retailers in Northern Ireland. It sends a great message to the people of Belfast, Northern Ireland, across this island and other European countries.

"This continues the regeneration of the city centre built on the success of Laganside."

The development regenerates a previously run down area of the edge of the city centre and provides the link between the riverside redevelopment at Laganside and the existing city centre streets.

It is more than just another shopping centre - though it offers scores of retail outlets, many new to Northern Ireland - but it also contains 107 luxury apartments, restaurants, bars, and multi-screen cinema.

"Its a live, work and play area for people here," said Ms Ritchie.

Built over four levels - with a 1,000 space car park beneath - the development is projected to draw over 17 million visitors in its first year.

In a city known for its regular wet weather Victoria Square will prove a draw - it's under cover. Topped by a huge glass dome it had two glass covered, main thoroughfares lined at various levels with retail outlets.

The viewing platform at the top of the dome provides spectacular views across the city and far over the surrounding countryside.

The Dutch architect for the scheme, Willem Joost de Vries, only saw the completed project this week. "I am very proud I wanted to transform this backside of the city to a frontside," he said.

He said they could have built a single complex but had built 17 different buildings. "I wanted to make sure they fitted in with the city fabric and we have the same mix of stonework as the traditional buildings."

In one fell swoop the development increases the retail floor space of Belfast by a third and is projected to boost the annual retail take by some £120 million.

A remarkable 92% of the retail space is pre-let and the scheme provides Belfast with another 3,000 jobs.

House of Fraser is the anchor tenant with a 200,000 sq ft department store - their first in Ireland and its largest in the UK.

Other names new to Northern Ireland include Hamleys, Cruise, Hugo Boss, Urban Outfitters, All Saints, The Pier, Billabong and Reiss.

US Italian restaurant chain Maggianos is opening its first outlet outside America and will be joined by Nandos, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Chili's - all new to the province.

The vast bulk of the outlets are opening now but a phase two in June will see the remainder including an Odeon multi-screen cinema.