THE former home of UTV for almost 60 years has been sold to a UK development firm and is set to be transformed into housing.
Havelock House on Belfast's Ormeau Road, which was put on the market in April with a guide price of £3.5 million, has been purchased by Olympian Homes for an undisclosed sum.
The London-based firm, which has been trading for over 20 years and delivered development schemes throughout the UK, has just completed a £37m student housing development at Great Patrick Street, beside the new Belfast Ulster University campus.
Olympian Homes has revealed it plans to redevelop Havelock House and deliver a professionally managed, purpose built build-to-rent residential scheme. The acquisition is the third scheme to be added to the company’s build-to-rent development pipeline.
Simon Murray-Twinn, chief executive officer at Olympian Homes, said the development will bring much needed homes for people working and living in the city centre.
"We aim to build a vibrant community who will enjoy the fantastic location which is a convenient walk into the central business district and the Gasworks opposite. We are looking forward to a positive collaboration with the city again to achieve a result much like we have seen with our recently completed student accommodation on Great Patrick Street," he said
The new Belfast development will further add to the housing stock in the city, which is to be supplemented by the neighbouring Portland 88 residential scheme, due to open in December.
UTV, owned by ITV plc, had been situated at Havelock House since the broadcaster went on air in 1959 and for many years, The base was also used by television film crews around the world to process and edit film footage of the Troubles.
The commercial broadcaster has since moved its operations to City Quays 2 in the Belfast Harbour Estate, taking 11,399 sq ft on the top floor of the new 94,527 sq ft.office building.
Oonagh Forster, finance director at ITV News outlined her pleasure that the sale had been agreed.
“The successful sale of Havelock House brings us to the end of the UTV office move project, and we are delighted that contracts have been exchanged. UTV is now well-settled in its state of the art studio and offices at City Quays 2 at Belfast Harbour Estate," she said.
Simon McEvoy, divisional director at Savills Northern Ireland, who handled the sale added:
“From the launch of the sale, Havelock House generated strong local and international interest. We’re delighted with the outcome and look forward to seeing Olympian Homes progress its plans for the property.”
