A LONG-disused church on Belfast's Ormeau Road is to be transformed into the city's latest luxury boutique hotel as part of an £8 million investment by the owners of the Galgorm resort and Fratelli Group.
Hospitality group the Galgorm Collection (previously known as Tullymore House Ltd) proposes turning the former Holy Rosary Church into a restaurant and a 18-bed hotel.
The new development - which will create around 100 jobs - has been recommended for approval by planning officials at Belfast City Council, and if it is given the green light, will open early next year.
The proposals centre round the Holy Rosary Church, where the last worshippers took communion in 1980, and an adjacent Parochial House building at 348-350 Ormeau Road.
The site is currently being carefully restored and preserved in advance of its opening in spring 2020 to accommodate 18 bedrooms, a new bar and signature restaurant which forms part of the group’s newly-named Galgorm Collection.
The 19th century grade B1 listed building was acquired in February 2017 by Galgorm. The site has been on the building risk register for over 35 years.
In its newest reincarnation, the ground floor will encompass a new kitchen and bar which has been styled on a similar group-owned venture launched at Galgorm Castle Golf Club earlier this year and which will provide a 150-seat BBQ smoke-house restaurant with wood-burning fire-pit as part of a new dining experience. Knox and Clayton are the architects behind the scheme.
An additional 30 jobs are also being created during construction, design and fit-out to provide for the uniquely-styled bedrooms and an open-access bar and restaurant.
Galgorm Collection managing director Colin Johnston said: “We welcome the fact that our planning proposal has been recommended for approval and we look forward to the next stage in the process.
“We’ve extensively engaged with councillors, partners, residents and stakeholders to ensure that one of Belfast’s finest, historic buildings can be carefully restored to create an outstanding new and unique hotel and dining experience for the city and for Northern Ireland.
“If the plans are approved, this exciting venture will further complement our new and expanding Galgorm Collection which comprises numerous award-winning properties which already warmly welcome thousands of local and international guests every day.
“It will also further enhance Belfast’s growing high quality hospitality offer in line with our own aspirations and that of the city while adding to the vibrancy of community life on Ormeau Road.”
