A £400 million redevelopment of the former Sirocco Works site in Belfast has been granted planning permission.
Osborne and Co's masterplan to regenerate the vacant 16 acre site was given the green light by Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee on Thursday evening.
The development, which could create as many as 8,000 jobs, includes the development of office space, the creation of around 675 apartments, as well as an hotel, serviced apartments and creative working spaces.
The masterplan, designed by international architects Henning Larsen, further includes provisions for community, cultural and leisure facilities such as cafés, bars, gym, restaurants and local retail, as well as a pedestrian and cycle bridge to connect the site to the city centre.
In addition to the 8,000 jobs once operational, the major project is set to create more than 1,000 construction jobs over the duration of the build, scheduled to begin in the coming months.
The Waterside Belfast project is set to deliver the first major employment activity at the former ropeworks site in almost 20 years. The latest planning approval comes after permission was granted last August for the £50m first phase of the project - a 13 storey, 250,000 sq ft office space, due to be operational by 2021.
Conor Osborne, founding director of Osborne and Co believes the Sirocco Works redevelopment will deliver huge benefits for Belfast.
"Construction alone could create over 1000 jobs and it will bring a host of new facilities to this vacant site including community, cultural and leisure facilities, such as cafes, bars, gym, restaurants and local retail, as well as proposals to enhance pedestrian and cycle connections across the river," he said.
"All of this will mean that the Waterside can be an engine for Belfast’s future social, cultural and economic flourishing. The approval of the masterplan is just the beginning and we look forward to continuing the conversation about how The Waterside represents a once in a generation opportunity to enhance Belfast’s status as a world class location to live and work.”
