#BelfastCityQuays2 – Following planning permission work is begin on a Belfast Harbour led development that forms part of wider £250m City Quays scheme as previously reported on Afloat.ie.
The work on the site of City Quays 2 an office development of 124,000sq ft is due to begin in Quarter 1, 2015 with completion scheduled for mid-2016.
It is estimated the work to build City Quays 2 will help support 600 direct and indirect construction jobs. The Harbour also revealed that the process of preparing tender documentation for the construction work has already begun.
Welcoming the decision, Graeme Johnston, Belfast Harbour's Property Director, said: "This approval gives Belfast Harbour a springboard to construct another much needed Grade 'A' office development for Belfast. Following Invest NI's recent successes the time is right to further invest in City Quays and support the region's economic development.
"This will complement work taking place on an adjacent waterfront office development, City Quays 1, which has already generated a high degree of interest in the market from both growing indigenous businesses and new market entrants.
"City Quays 2 is a landmark building on Belfast's waterfront; a £20m project that will create 600 much needed direct and indirect construction jobs. Like City Quays 1, it will be developed to high environmental standards with an emphasis on reducing tenants' operating costs. It will also provide open plan, flexible floors deigned to meet the needs of dynamic modern enterprises."
City Quays 2 is part of the wider City Quays scheme, a 20-acre office-led, city-centre development, which will also include residential and retail elements, and a hotel. The scheme was granted outline planning permission in June 2014.
Belfast Harbour has already sought expressions of interest from national and international operators for the hotel, a 300,000 sq. ft., 150 to 200 bedroom waterfront project. The Harbour has confirmed that the calibre and number of responses received from operators has exceeded expectations and that the hotel, with a supporting multi-storey car park, could be open by 2017.
