MARKS AND SPENCER is to be the anchor tenant at the new £2.5 million retail, food hall and fuel forecourt at Belfast International Airport, due to open later this year.
The Irish News can reveal that all units are now let at the 1.6 acre site and the work, being carried out by building and civil engineering contractors RJ McKelvey of Castlederg, is ahead of schedule.
Joining M&S at the Airport Road development are oriental fast food chain Chopstix, Burger King, Subway and Irish independent coffee chain Insomnia, who will open its first store in the north. Emo has been confirmed as the fuel retailer.
It is estimated that 30 construction jobs are being supported through the contract and when complete the forecourt will create 25 full and part-time jobs, generating about £500,000 a year in wages.
Speaking this week Co Antrim project developers Moorefield Contracts revealed they were ahead of schedule, with the spell of good weather aiding progress.
Canice Mallaghan from the Dunadry based firm said they were delighted with the progress to date and hopes it will pave the way for future developments.
“Our contractor has been working flat out on the site. The fuel tanks are installed, the forecourt canopy supports are in place and work’s continuing apace both inside and out," she said.
“We have every reason to believe that this retail and forecourt development will be a huge success. We’re on target for an October opening. Our contractors will be off site by the end of August and after that, it will be down to fitting out the units to retailer specification. The feedback we’re getting is hugely positive with people saying they can’t wait for us to open the doors.
"This is our first food and forecourt development and we’re currently on the look-out for other similar development opportunities both here in Northern Ireland and in Great Britain.”
It has been a successful year to date at Belfast International Airport with passenger numbers up by a quarter in the first four months of 2017, while budget airline Jet2 last month announced eight new European routes to begin in Summer 2018.
