REVISED plans for a new £500 million Belfast city regeneration scheme will be unveiled to the public next week.
Amendments to the Tribeca Belfast development were announced last month, but will be revealed in their entirety for the first time at a public exhibition starting on Monday, July 29.
Following the conclusion of a ten-week public consultation process and ahead of the submission of a formal planning application in the autumn, developer Castlebrooke Investments will hold six public exhibition days at the former Mackeys Opticians unit on North Street.
At the exhibition the new plans for the 12-acre site on land near St Anne’s Cathedral will be showcased. Amendments to the original proposals include a significant reduction in height of one of the two grade A office blocks proposed from 27 storeys to 10.
The changes to the office block, located on the corner of Rosemary Street and North Street, due to Ireland's largest, are a result of concerns raised during the pre-application consultation process.
The developer has also committed to bringing North Street Arcade back into use in a new format, with space designed for independent retailers. The Art Deco shopping arcade, which dates back to the 1930s, has been derelict since a 2004 fire at the site.
Other amendments to the original plans include an increased allowance for green spaces, courtyards and residential space in line with the Belfast Agenda, as well as the retention of a greater number of historic streetscape on original buildings in the area.
A newly appointed team from internationally acclaimed architectural design firm Squire & Partners has worked alongside conservation architects from Belfast-based Consarc Design Group on the amendments.
Jonathan Mitchell, director of Castlebrooke Investments, said the changes to the plans are a direct response to feedback from those within the city.
“We believe that the changes we have made address many of the areas of concern which have been raised to date and it has been great to see a very positive response to these plans," he said.
"Over the last three weeks we have held a series of meetings with city stakeholders, all of which have helped to shape the vision for the future of the city centre. We will continue to listen as we move through this voluntary process."
The Tribeca Belfast public exhibition opens at the former Mackeys Opticians unit on North Street at 2pm on Monday July 29. It is one of six public open days due to take place, with further dates available on request.
The exhibition will open on July 30 from 9am to 2pm, the following day from 10am to 6pm and on August 1 between 3pm and 8pm. The final two dates are Tuesday August 6 from 9am to 2pm and between the hours of 2pm and 6pm on August 7.
Site walking tours are also available on; August 6, August 8, August 13 and August 18. To register for the walking tours, leave feedback and find out more information visit: www.tribeca-belfast.co.uk.
