Business

The Ewart marks topping out phase with 124,000 sq ft still on the market

L-R: McAleer & Rushe chairman Seamus McAleer with Lord Mayor of Belfast, Kate Nicholl and Eamonn Laverty, group chief executive.
L-R: McAleer & Rushe chairman Seamus McAleer with Lord Mayor of Belfast, Kate Nicholl and Eamonn Laverty, group chief executive. L-R: McAleer & Rushe chairman Seamus McAleer with Lord Mayor of Belfast, Kate Nicholl and Eamonn Laverty, group chief executive.

ONE of the biggest new office projects still under development in Belfast has marked its topping out phase.

The Ewart, built by McAleer & Rushe, is a part regeneration and part speculative office tower on Bedford Street.

Deloitte is due to relocate to the £85 million development as an anchor tenant, taking 100,000 sq ft across two buildings.

The business services giant will take over the entirety of the smaller listed Ewart building facing onto Bedford Street, as well as five floors of the 17 storey tower behind it, including the top two levels.

But it’s understood that around 11 floors, or around 124,000 sq ft of office space remains on the market.

The original sandstone warehouse, which dates back to 1870, has been linked to the new build tower by a two-storey link extension.

Stephen Surphlis, who heads MRP, the property development arm of McAleer & Rushe, said: “Despite the challenges of the last 18 months, the team and our project partners have worked to deliver a landmark development creating one of the most sophisticated and desirable office spaces in the city.

“The contemporary building will offer a flexible, dynamic and sustainable working environment and with many businesses currently reviewing their return-to-work strategies, we have begun to see an increase in the number of tenant enquiries over the last few months."