Cookstown contractor embarks on Belfast mega-mission

A TYRONE contractor has been selected to head up one of Belfast’s biggest building developments in recent history.

MRP – the property development wing of Cookstown firm, McAleer and Rushe – has been chosen as Translink’s commercial partner for the hugely ambitious Weavers Cross development.

The gross development value of the regeneration project has been estimated at £500million, and it is hoped it will create over £1billion of additional spending in the Northern Ireland economy.

Speaking with the Tyrone Heralderald, Stephen Surphlis, managing director of the Cookstown-based construction company, said, “The vision for Weavers Cross is a bold one, marrying world-class urban design (and) the latest sustainable practices to create a new neighbourhood for Belfast that will impact positively on all of Northern Ireland.

“We’re looking forward to commencing this partnership with Translink and engaging with the community and interested parties to make this development a reality, unlocking the project’s huge potential and helping to regenerate the local area.”

When complete, the mammoth project, which includes the revitalisation of one of Belfast’s four key train stations, could create over one million square foot of offices, student accommodation, residential housing, and retail/leisure space.

It is further believed that the sprawling complex could offer as much as 1.3million square foot of floorage be used for a mixture of business, leisure and residential purposes.

The entire scheme is due to span an area of about 30 acres between the Europa bus station and the Westlink.

Headway has already been made on Belfast Grand Central Station, which, when finished, it is set to be Ireland’s largest sustainable transport hub.

Industry forecasts predict the state-of-the-art station will be done by 2025. However, Translink has said that the entire development could take as long as 20 years to complete in full.