Titanic city sails to second phase
Saturday November 29 2008
THE £97m (€117m) second phase of the Titanic quarter development in Belfast has got the go-ahead from the Northern Ireland Executive.
The Titanic Signature Project will be a mixed-use development with a strong tourist amenity element. It is to include exhibition halls, a Titanic museum and a theatre as well as retail and commercial buildings. It was approved yesterday by the Executive.
The proposal envisages a five-storey "iconic building" located at the head of the Titanic and Olympic slipways in the heart of the quarter, covering three acres of land, and containing a number of themed galleries featuring the Titanic and Belfast maritime heritage. The project is to be completed by 2012 and is expected to attract around 400,000 visitors a year.
Plans also include a Rapid Transport System -- a pilot project bus network with dedicated lanes running from various parts of Belfast to the quarter.
"The project will build upon and add new jobs to those already being created in Northern Ireland's first financial services sector,'' said Belfast Harbour Commissioners (BHC) chairman Len O'Hagan.
The NI Executive has put up £43.5m toward the project and the remaining £53.5m required is expected to come from Titanic Quarter Limited, Belfast Harbour Commissioners and Belfast City Council.
- Risn Burke
