ONE of Belfast city centre's old bars - and for long a favourite journalists' watering hole - has been sold in a multi-million pound deal.
The Frames Complex in Little Donegall Street, adjacent to the now-vacant Belfast Telegraph building, is understood to have been acquired by the group which owns bars including the Albany and Filthy McNastys.
And the Irish News understands that the 36,000 sq ft building, which dates back to 1896 and part of which is listed, will be turned into a 100-bedroom hotel as well as retaining its drinks licence.
Its current owners Gracemount Enterprises, fronted by brothers James Magee (64) and Gerard Magee (55), refused to comment on the financial terms of the deal.
But it is believed the unique triangular shaped island building - which as well as a bar and function room comprises a barber's shop, gym, pool and snooker floor and sunbed suite - has been sold for more than £2 million.
The five-storey building already has planning permission for a conversion to 18 apartments and a number of retail units.
A spokesman for Gracemount said it will be "business as usual" until next April.
Around 30 staff are employed in the various businesses within the Frames Complex, but it remains uncertain as to whether they will retain their jobs under the new owners.
The building (formerly called Library House and now known as Titanic Kitchen Bar) was for many years the manufacturing warehouse and showroom for textiles firm Robert Watson & Co, which famously provided bedding for the Titanic.
The building lay derelict throughout the 70s and early 80s and fell into a poor state of decay until Jim Magee opened a snooker club to capitalise on the green baize boom.
And after Dennis Taylor became world snooker champion in 1985, the complex boasted 50 snooker tables and was believed to be the biggest snooker hall in the UK.
The new owner is businessman Paul Langsford (45), who has been involved in the Belfast bar trade for two decades.
He told the Irish News: “A planning application is being prepared for a proposed mixed use commercial and leisure scheme with a ground floor and roof top bar.”
The Frames complex is among a number of buildings in the Cathedral Quarter area which have been sold or are being revamped ahead of the opening in 2018 of the Ulster University's new £250 million campus, which will see 12,000 students and 1,300 staff relocate from Jordanstown.
The move is expected to boost that part of the city by around £1 billion.
