24 February 2009

Take a look at Belfast today and then step back in time about 20 years and you would be able to tell a tale of two cities.

Today’s 21^st Century city is much-changed from the one you view almost two decades ago.

The most notable differences aren’t seen so much in the centre around the city hall but on the riverbanks where first the Laganside Corporation transformed the shoreline, where the Millennium Commission built The Odyssey to mark the turn of the Century and where the Hilton hotel, BT Tower and Waterfront Hall have become part and parcel of the Belfast skyline.

Getting back to the future we have the magnificent dome of the Victoria Square Centre, new law courts, an emerging Cathedral Quarter and most significant of all, a visibly growing Titanic Quarter, a mammoth development set to further change the face of the city forever.

The fact that the Titanic construction continues at pace during the most severe economic downturn in half a century speaks volumes for those both within the public and private sectors who continue to have a compelling vision for land they are developing and the enduring contribution it will make economically, socially and culturally for generations to come.

The Belfast law firm acting for Titanic Quarter believes the progress made on the site is an encouraging example of what can be achieved despite the widespread economic gloom.

“You only have to look at what is going on there to see that it has the potential to be an economic generator for years to come,” said Jim Houston, property partner with commercial lawyers Cleaver Fulton Rankin. “In the midst of the economic downturn here is a commercial success story developing before our very eyes.

“Indeed, after a couple of years where the level of hard work going on was not really apparent, people can now see the vision that is Titanic Quarter rising up around them.”

In November 2008 agreement was reached on the location of the new Public Records Office of Northern Ireland on what will be called Titanic Boulevard.

The building of the Gateway Office Development and the luxury Arc apartments are well under way as are negotiations for the associated retail units.  A new hotel development is about to start, and Phase Two planning has been agreed which includes significant employment and leisure facilities. An application for Phase 3 of the development is presently with Planning Service and this encompasses the long awaited Financial Services Campus.

Projects commencing shortly include a new campus for the Belfast Metropolitan College and the much anticipated Titanic Signature Project.

“It’s hard not to be excited by what is happening on the east bank of the Lagan,” said Jim Houston. “Now that the many developments are becoming more visible the public can join in the excitement and can watch change in the making as a 21^st Century Belfast takes shape.”

Several disciplines from within Cleaver Fulton Rankin have come together to provide bespoke support to the Titanic project; including planning through partner, Karen Blair, and construction through partner, Patrick Fleming.

Mr Houston added; “This is a fantastic project to work on given its scale and economic significance.  What we are witnessing is a wholly new part of Belfast growing up right in front of our eyes.

“Given the historic nature of the site and its global importance the true potential of the entire development, both economically and culturally, is still probably not fully known.

“That’s what makes it so exciting to be involved in and given the current economic despondency we believe Northern Ireland should look to Titanic Quarter as an example of what can be done, and indeed, is still being done.

“If you ever needed a beacon of hope in dire economic times then this multifaceted project shines brightest in terms of developments happening anywhere in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

“It gives us food for thought when one then considers the potential of sites like the Maze and the former military barracks at Ebrington and Fort George in Derry.  Northern Ireland has a confident economic future albeit we may have to endure some very real short term pain.”

With the economic situation changing almost daily Jim Houston believes Titanic Quarter brings a small measure of stability.

“A large project like this boosts confidence and shows what can be done when the public and private sectors work in partnership,” he said. “We are delighted to be part of it, even more so when one considers that the best is yet to come.”