Business

Key office redevelopment granted 'will help satisfy demand'

Landmark Belfast city centre office block River House on High Street is to undergo a major refurbishment
Landmark Belfast city centre office block River House on High Street is to undergo a major refurbishment Landmark Belfast city centre office block River House on High Street is to undergo a major refurbishment

A LANDMARK office building in Belfast city centre has been granted planning permission to undergo a major refurbishment.

River House on High Street has five ground floor commercial units and a 66-space car park to the rear accessed via Waring Street. Planning permission has been granted for 90,000 sq ft of retail and Grade A office accommodation.

Castleforge Partners purchased the property earlier this year with the intention of refurbishing the space to meet the increasing demand for quality Grade A office space.

The approved application shows plans to enlarge and convert the ground floor retail units to restaurant use and to enlarge the entrance lobby to the offices.

Further improvements include a dramatic new glazed front facade, replacement windows and the installation of full air-conditioning to the office floors.

McConnell Chartered Surveyors and CBRE are the letting agents for the building.

CBRE director David Wright said: “River House has been a landmark office building in Belfast for many years and it is a great vote of confidence in Belfast that Castleforge Partners are prepared to invest so heavily in the building to create high specification offices.”

Rory McConnell, a director atMcConnell Chartered Surveyors, added: “Belfast is still suffering a severe shortage of Grade A office space, and the 90,000 sq ft proposed at River House will be well positioned to satisfy some of the numerous larger space requirements which cannot currently be satisfied.”