A £250 million regeneration scheme for Belfast's central shopping area has finally been approved by a direct rule minister.
The Victoria Square scheme, delayed by suspension of the Assembly and Executive, court challenges and a planning inquiry, will become one of the largest covered retail, business and residential areas in Europe.
Mr Des Browne, the Minister for Social Development, gave the go-ahead yesterday, pointing to the benefits of 24-hour use of the city centre. Currently, it is quiet after business hours.
The plans envisage new residential accommodation, shops, leisure and hotel facilities in an area to the east of Royal Avenue towards the Lagan. Riverside areas of the city have already been substantially redeveloped, with the Waterfront Hall, Hilton Hotel, new road and rail bridges along with apartment schemes transforming the inner city in the past decade.
The scheme will provide a link between the city centre shopping and business areas and the redeveloped Lagan bank.
The 15-acre redevelopment, to be carried out by Dutch firm MDC, will centre on two multi-level covered streets linked to a 35-metre diameter glass dome. It involves some 800,000 sq feet of space - 500,000 for retail use and the balance for leisure, recreational and residential accommodation.
House of Frazer will become the anchor tenant.