Dunloe Ewart has outlined details of its £40 million sterling residential first phase development of a prime 16-acre site on the east bank of the Lagan river.
The developers have applied for permission for a dramatic building, with extensive urban gardens on the river bank. Design and construction is being overseen by consulting engineers Ove Arup, in what is the firm's first entry into the Northern Ireland building market.
The residential element of the 16-acre site, which was bought over a year ago by Dunloe for a reported £23 million, will be followed by a leisure/retail phase and then a 650,000 sq ft office element.
Dunloe Ewart Northern Ireland Director, Barry Gilligan, said the development will make a major impact on the direction of development in the Laganside area.
He pointed out that with the exception of the Odyssey stadium and leisure complex, all the major Laganside development has been on the west bank - the city centre side of the river.
"The development of the Sirocco site by Dunloe Ewart is the key to extending the city centre to the east side of the river. We have seen all that money spent on Laganside on one side of the river. Instead of the city centre stopping at the west bank of the Lagan, the river will become part of the city centre, flowing through it.
"Future generations will appreciate this as being the point at which the river became part of Belfast city centre."
The development of the Sirocco site has been of historic and economic significance to the east of the city, which has undergone decades of economic decline with the closure of the heavy engineering and shipbuilding factories.
Mr Gilligan pointed out that when Dunloe Ewart bought the Sirocco works, less than 100 people were employed there - whereas in his heyday, when Sirocco had been the world's largest manufacturer of fans for the tea industry, it employed 3,000.
"When our development is complete there will be 6,000 people living and working on this site. This is regeneration in the real sense."
The urban garden theme of the apartment blocks has been inspired by the hidden urban gardens of London's Maida Vale. The apartments will be predominantly two-beds; around 10 per cent will be onebeds, another 10 per cent, three-beds, and there will be penthouses.
Mr Gilligan pointed out that the layout of the scheme will maximize views across the city and Belfast Lough. Those facing south will enjoy views over the extensive greenery of the Ormeau Park, with the Cregagh Hills in the background.
As part of the proposals for the leisure development, the company intends to reinstate the former landmark redbrick gable wall of the old Sirocco works. This would be incorporated in the restaurant, health, leisure and retail element.
Meanwhile, Dunloe Ewart has also outlined plans for a £10 million leisure complex on the last available site at Lanyon Quay on the city side of the Lagan. Work is due to begin later this year, with completion expected before the end of 2002.
This Dunloe development consists of 80,000 sq ft of restaurants, bars, and retail, leisure and gymnasium facilities. The company has retained agents Colliers CRE to advise on sale or letting of the development. Units from 1,600 sq ft to 27,550 sq ft are available. The development is on a site with river frontage beside the Waterfront Hall and Belfast Hilton Hotel.