Minutes:
The Director of City Centre Development provided the Committee with an update on the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) between the Council and McAleer and Rushe, which acquired the former Belfast Telegraph building in October, 2016.
The Members were provided with an overview of the work which was being undertaken regarding the site. The Director advised that a short term license had been agreed with a company to occupy a large section of the ground floor of the site for nine months, with an option to renew for a further nine months. She explained that the interim license would secure an income for the Partnership and would address some of the rates liabilities. The Committee noted that the area would be temporarily used as a venue for entertainment activity and other uses, and that the Council would work closely with the tenant to jointly programme use of the site at various points throughout the year, including culture night.
The Committee was advised that the long term plan of the Partnership was to secure the BBC as the tenant. It was reported that the LLP was committed to pursuing the BBC as the preferred tenant and that the competitive process would begin later in the year.
In addition, the Chief Executive outlined that the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Communities had informed her that, while Streets Ahead Phase 3 remained a high priority for the Department, the procurement exercise for the project had not progressed any further due to the financial position of the Department for 2017-2018. The Chief Executive advised the Members that the Department had indicated that unless it was allocated additional Capital resources, the procurement exercise for the construction works for Phase 3 was unlikely to be progressed in 2017-2018. She explained that, consequently, once a Minister was in place, the tender process would have to start from the beginning which could delay the project well beyond the scheduled dates of the University construction work and other sites being developed in the area.
The Committee agreed that a letter be sent to the Permanent Secretary, with input from the City Solicitor, asking that the Department reconsider its position on Streets Ahead Phase 3, given that a significant amount of public money had already been spent in bringing the project to that stage.
After discussion, the Committee:
1. noted the progress on the former Belfast Telegraph site and the partnership’s intention to:
- Issue a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) and engage directly with elected representatives, businesses, communities and other stakeholders later this summer ahead of submitting an outline planning application;
- Undertake branding and marketing of the site to coincide with community engagement and planning milestones; and
- Continue to develop a design concept in anticipation of a BBC request for proposals; and
2. noted the agreed short term license and the ongoing discussions with other potential occupants from the creative and digital sector; and
3. agreed that a letter be sent to the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Communities, to include input from the City Solicitor, asking that the Belfast Streets Ahead Phase 3 project be reconsidered in terms of the allocation of funding, given that a significant amount of public money had already been spent to bring the project to its current phase.