Belfast’s Waterfront Hall is to get a £29.5m extension with the aim of putting it on the world stage as a conference destination.
The extension is planned to stretch from the existing building out to the edge of the River Lagan and will provide an additional 4,000sq metres of conference, exhibition and banqueting space for an extra 750 delegates. It will also include five new breakout rooms, each with the capacity for 200 people.
Lord Mayor Mairtin O’Muilleoir said the new facility will be a “sea change” for the city of Belfast.
“We have a wonderful team in Visit Belfast who go out around the world and sell tourists the attractions, but conferences are where the money is and we didn’t have a dedicated conference space, so they have been fighting with one hand behind their back,” he said.
“Now there is a level playing field. Now they have a world-class conference centre on the beautiful Lagan River able to accommodate conferences with up to 800 people.
“This is a red-letter day, a bonanza for the hotels, restaurants and tourist industry.”
Construction is expected to start this summer and be finished by December 2015, creating up to 400 construction jobs.
Discover more from LoveBelfast
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
