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Planning permission has been granted for a 206-bedroom hotel on the site of the former Belfast Metropolitan College.
Belfast City Council approved plans designed by Belfast-based Consarc Design Group for the 14-storey development, adjacent to Blackstaff Square, which will also comprise restaurants, bars and meeting and conference space.
McAleer & Rushe, which acquired the site just over a year ago, intends to develop the site with a mixed-use hotel and student accommodation scheme.
Stephen Surphlis, property director at McAleer & Rushe, said: “This is great news for Belfast, as this is a centrally located hotel scheme, which is designed to complement Belfast’s forward looking aspirations and assist in meeting the undersupply in hotel provision.
“The Belfast leisure market has recovered strongly following the downturn, with figures confirming strong occupancy levels and increasing room rates. This new hotel will help to satisfy increasing demand going forward as Belfast rapidly increases in popularity as a leisure and business destination.”
The company has already began the demolition of the existing college building and construction of the hotel is expected to begin in early in 2016.
