AN interface wall in west Belfast has been removed to make way for a £7.5 million community centre.
The three-metre interface wall that was built to stop sectarian conflict was torn down to start construction of the Black Mountain Shared Space Project.
With funding from the EU, the new facility is set to open next winter at the area between the Ballygomartin and Springfield communities.
With a mixture of multi-purpose rooms, offices and informal gathering areas, the new space will be used for an extensive programme of activities to encourage young people of different backgrounds to spend time together.
Read more:What is a peace wall?
Belfast City Council is delivering the project with EU money matched by the Department for Communities and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland.
Belfast Lord Mayor Christina Black said the investment would be "transformative" for both communities.
“We want to create a welcoming, safe, fair and inclusive city for all, and this project will make a significant contribution to these objectives," she said.
"Removing physical barriers and providing first-class, shared community facilities is vital if we are serious about building bridges and moving forward together as a city."
Patrick Anderson, head of Belfast Regeneration Directorate from the Department for Communities said: “I congratulate everyone involved for their efforts in getting the project to this stage.
"Today’s event represents a major milestone which marks the first significant steps in the transformation of this previously derelict site into a state-of-the-art shared space facility for the whole community."
Once finished, he said the centre would act as a community hub that focused on improving the health and wellbeing of people in the area.
