PLANS for the development of what will be the largest single office development in the north are set to go to public consultation early next month.
At 255,000 square feet, 'One Bankmore Square' will have enough space to accommodate up to 3,000 employees.
More than 570 jobs are set to be created in the construction of the 12-storey building, which will be situated in Belfast at the Movie House cinema site on the Dublin Road.
The total development cost is expected to be in the £65 million region, with a target completion date of late 2019.
The development is spearheaded by property developers and financial investment firm The Richmond Group, which already has an extensive property portfolio including The Gallery apartment complex, which is also on the Dublin Road, and several developments in London and Paris.
Each floor of One Bankmore Square will be made up of 25,000 sq ft of Grade A office space and the building will be complemented by a ground floor with potential for food, retail and leisure opportunities.
In the development of the project, The Richmond Group have spared no expense in contracting some of the construction and architecture industry’s biggest and most experienced players.
Building work will be tasked to the Dunmurry-based Farran’s Construction, while the design is the brainchild of Todd Architects.
Farran’s have been at the foundation of many of Belfast’s most recognisable buildings, including the £165m Victoria Square complex and the £9.3m Radisson SAS hotel.
The Citi Group Offices in the Titanic Quarter and Law Society House on Victoria Street were both the work of Todd Architects, which has an international portfolio of a range of properties stretching into the billions of pounds.
Gary McCausland, chief executive of the Richland Group, has high hopes for the project.
"One Bankmore Square will inject tens of millions of pounds into the local economy, create thousands of jobs, rejuvenate a very important part of Belfast City centre and add incredible value to people that live and work in Belfast and indeed Northern Ireland," he said.
"It’s time to think outside the box, it’s time to think big, it’s time to really get on the world stage and deliver the solutions and space that blue-chip companies demand and that is exactly what we intend to do."
Two public consultation events have been arranged by planning consultants Clyde Shanks for February 6 and 7 at the Clayton Hotel in Belfast. The planning application for full permission will be submitted to Belfast City Council in March.
One Bankmore Square is not the only office development aiming to mark its place on Belfast’s skyline, however.
In September, the £55m Lanyon Central development near central station was given the green light and the nine-floor second stage of the City Quays project at Belfast harbour is currently under way.
