Belfast City Centre
Encyclopedia
Belfast city centre is the central business district
of Belfast
, Northern Ireland
.
The city centre was originally centred around the Donegall Street area. Donegall Street is now mainly a business area, but with expanding residential and entertainment development as part of the Cathedral Quarter
scheme - Belfast's Anglican
cathedral (St. Anne's) is located here. The Roman Catholic cathedral St. Peter's
is located a little to the west of the city centre.
Two of Belfast's three main newspapers - The Belfast Telegraph and The Irish News are also located nearby. The News Letter
, which claims to be the oldest continually published English language
daily newspaper still in existence, was originally located in the area.
The city centre is now centred on Donegall Square
(location of the City Hall
), Donegall Place, Royal Avenue, Castle Junction, High Street and surrounding streets and alleys.
Over the past decade the city Centre has seen expansive redevelopment. The Laganside Development
includes the landmark Waterfront Hall
, BT Tower, Hilton Hotel
, Odyssey Complex
and various riverside apartment complexes.
The Gasworks Business Park is owned by Belfast City Council
and managed by the Councils Estates Management Unit. The site contains commercial offices, call centre
s, small business units, housing, cafés & restaurants, the Radisson Hotel
and an award winning public landscaped park. The Gasworks has been internationally recognised as a key example of brownfield
regeneration in Europe
and has won numerous awards in relation to all aspects of its development. The initial phase is now almost complete and the City Council are currently preparing a master plan in preparation for the commencement of Phase II development.
Victoria Square
is a commercial, residential and leisure development in Belfast developed and built by Multi Development UK UK over 6 years. At approx 800,000ft² (75,000m²) and costing £400m it is the biggest and one of the most expensive property developments ever undertaken in Northern Ireland. It opened on March 6, 2008. Its anchor tenant at nearly 200,000ft² (18,581m²) is the largest House of Fraser
that the retailer has opened in the UK (as opposed to taken over).
In March 2006, the government gave the go-ahead for a £300m regeneration of a run-down part of Belfast city centre, in the Cathedral Quarter
, which could create up to 2,000 jobs. Plans include a new shopping centre, anchored by a department store. The project will not be completed until 2011. It is estimated that 1,000 people will help build the development and 2,000 will be employed there.
Happy place, comber street
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
The city centre was originally centred around the Donegall Street area. Donegall Street is now mainly a business area, but with expanding residential and entertainment development as part of the Cathedral Quarter
Cathedral Quarter, Belfast
The Cathedral Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland is a developing area of the city, roughly situated between Royal Avenue near where the Belfast Central Library building is, and the Dunbar Link in the city centre. From one of its corners, the junction of Royal Avenue, Donegall Street and York...
scheme - Belfast's Anglican
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
cathedral (St. Anne's) is located here. The Roman Catholic cathedral St. Peter's
St. Peter's Cathedral, Belfast
St. Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast. is the Roman Catholic cathedral church for the diocese of Down and Connor and is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor. It is located in the Divis Street area of the Falls Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland and dates from the 1860s...
is located a little to the west of the city centre.
Two of Belfast's three main newspapers - The Belfast Telegraph and The Irish News are also located nearby. The News Letter
The News Letter
The News Letter is one of Northern Ireland's main daily newspapers, published Monday to Saturday. It is the oldest English language general daily newspaper still in publication in the world, having first been printed in 1737....
, which claims to be the oldest continually published English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
daily newspaper still in existence, was originally located in the area.
The city centre is now centred on Donegall Square
Donegall Square
Donegall Square is a square in the centre of Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. In the centre is Belfast City Hall, the headquarters of Belfast City Council. Each side of the square is named according to its geographical location, ie Donegall Square North, South, East and West. It is named...
(location of the City Hall
Belfast City Hall
Belfast City Hall is the civic building of the Belfast City Council. Located in Donegall Square, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, it faces north and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre.-History:...
), Donegall Place, Royal Avenue, Castle Junction, High Street and surrounding streets and alleys.
Redevelopment
Laganside Corporation
The Laganside Corporation was a non-departmental public body formed by the Laganside Development Order 1989 with the goal of regenerating large sections of land in Belfast, Northern Ireland adjacent to the River Lagan...
includes the landmark Waterfront Hall
Waterfront Hall
The Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect....
, BT Tower, Hilton Hotel
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
, Odyssey Complex
Odyssey (Belfast)
The Odyssey Arena is a large sports and entertainment centre situated in Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was jointly funded by the Millennium Commission, the Laganside Corporation, the DCAL, the Sheridan Group and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland. The Arena opened in 2000 with...
and various riverside apartment complexes.
The Gasworks Business Park is owned by Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
and managed by the Councils Estates Management Unit. The site contains commercial offices, call centre
Call centre
A call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
s, small business units, housing, cafés & restaurants, the Radisson Hotel
Radisson Hotels
Radisson Hotels is one of the leading, full-service global hotel companies with more than 420 locations in 73 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1909, and was named after the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson...
and an award winning public landscaped park. The Gasworks has been internationally recognised as a key example of brownfield
Brownfield land
Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations. Cf. Waste...
regeneration in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and has won numerous awards in relation to all aspects of its development. The initial phase is now almost complete and the City Council are currently preparing a master plan in preparation for the commencement of Phase II development.
Victoria Square
Victoria Square, Belfast
Victoria Square is a commercial, residential and leisure development in Belfast, Northern Ireland developed and built by Multi Development UK over 6 years. At approx 800,000ft² and costing £400m it is the biggest and one of the most expensive property developments ever undertaken in Northern...
is a commercial, residential and leisure development in Belfast developed and built by Multi Development UK UK over 6 years. At approx 800,000ft² (75,000m²) and costing £400m it is the biggest and one of the most expensive property developments ever undertaken in Northern Ireland. It opened on March 6, 2008. Its anchor tenant at nearly 200,000ft² (18,581m²) is the largest House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
that the retailer has opened in the UK (as opposed to taken over).
In March 2006, the government gave the go-ahead for a £300m regeneration of a run-down part of Belfast city centre, in the Cathedral Quarter
Cathedral Quarter, Belfast
The Cathedral Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland is a developing area of the city, roughly situated between Royal Avenue near where the Belfast Central Library building is, and the Dunbar Link in the city centre. From one of its corners, the junction of Royal Avenue, Donegall Street and York...
, which could create up to 2,000 jobs. Plans include a new shopping centre, anchored by a department store. The project will not be completed until 2011. It is estimated that 1,000 people will help build the development and 2,000 will be employed there.
Notable buildings
- Albert ClockAlbert Memorial Clock, BelfastThe Albert Memorial Clock is a tall clock tower situated at Queen's Square in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was completed in 1869 and is one of the best known landmarks of Belfast.-History:...
, Victoria Street - Bittle's Bar, Victoria Square
- City HallBelfast City HallBelfast City Hall is the civic building of the Belfast City Council. Located in Donegall Square, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, it faces north and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre.-History:...
, Donegall Square - Custom House, Custom House Square
- Linenhall Library, Donegall Square North
- The Obel TowerObel TowerThe Obel Tower is a skyscraper in Belfast, Northern Ireland.Costing £60 million and measuring 85 metres in height, the tower dominates the Belfast skyline. On completion it overtook the previous tallest skyscraper in Ireland, Windsor House , also in Belfast...
, Donegall Quay - Belfast Metropolitan College, College Square East
- Royal Belfast Academical InstitutionRoyal Belfast Academical InstitutionThe Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is a Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Locally referred to as Inst, the school educates boys from ages 11–18...
(RBAI), College Square East - St. George's ChurchSt. George's Church, BelfastThe Parish Church of Saint George, Belfast, more commonly known as St. George's Church, Belfast, is a Church of Ireland church located on High Street in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the oldest Church of Ireland church in Belfast. It was designed by Irish architect, John Bowden, and opened in 1816...
, High Street - St. George's Market, May Street
- The Ulster HallUlster HallThe Ulster Hall is a concert hall and grade B1 listed building in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated on Bedford Street in Belfast city centre, the hall hosts concerts, classical recitals, craft fairs and political party conferences...
, Bedford Street - The Waterfront HallWaterfront HallThe Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect....
, Lanyon Place - Windsor HouseWindsor HouseWindsor House is a high-rise office building in Bedford Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland. The building was the tallest storeyed building on the island of Ireland before being surpassed by Obel Tower and stands at 80 metres tall, with 23 floors.Being the former tallest building on the Island of...
, Bedford Street - Victoria SquareVictoria Square, BelfastVictoria Square is a commercial, residential and leisure development in Belfast, Northern Ireland developed and built by Multi Development UK over 6 years. At approx 800,000ft² and costing £400m it is the biggest and one of the most expensive property developments ever undertaken in Northern...
Bars and clubs
- McHugh's BarMcHugh's BarMcHugh's Bar is a public house in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Located on Queen's Square in Belfast City Centre, it is one of the city's best known pubs and the oldest building in Belfast.-History:...
, Queen's Square - The Crown Liquor SaloonThe Crown Liquor SaloonThe Crown Liquor Saloon is a public house in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Refurbished to a high standard in 1885, it is an outstanding example of a Victorian gin palace, and is one of Northern Ireland's best-known pubs.- History :...
, Great Victoria Street - The LimelightThe LimelightThe Limelight is the name of a chain of nightclubs that were owned and operated by Peter Gatien, located in Atlanta, Hollywood, Florida, and London, and formerly in New York City and Chicago.-History:...
, Ormeau Avenue - The Northern WhigThe Northern WhigThe Northern Whig is a bar housed in a historical building in Belfast, Northern Ireland.It is situated in the Cathedral Quarter, just to the north of the city centre...
, Waring Street
Happy place, comber street