THE PROPERTY developer behind plans to build one of Ireland’s tallest buildings in Belfast has been declared bankrupt.
Mervyn McAlister had planned a £90 million (€105 million), 109m tower to be constructed on Great Victoria Street in the city centre at the peak of the property boom in 2007.
The Aurora tower was to have been aimed at the high-end of the residential market and at the then booming commercial sector. The plans included 291 residential units and 650sq m (7,000sq ft) of commercial space, including a restaurant, in its 37 storeys. Also envisaged was a gym, valet parking and concierge service.
The tower was designed by Dublin architects HKR and was to have included a unique lighting effect on its top floor to imitate the northern lights, after which it was to have been named.
The scheme reflected the bullishness of the construction sector in 2007 when property prices in Belfast seemed on a relentless rise and the housing sector in Northern Ireland was outperforming that in Britain.
The tower would have dominated the skyline on all approaches to the city from the south and noticeably on the M1, which brings traffic from the Republic towards the city centre.
The scheme became politically contentious when planners turned down Mr McAlister’s proposals and then environment minister Sammy Wilson reprimanded them. He said the scheme, known locally as “Sammy’s Skyscraper”, would have iconic value for the construction industry and boost the residential appeal of central Belfast. Last month Anglo Irish Bank put the site into receivership and the High Court in Belfast last week granted the order.