Crumlin Road Courthouse to be transformed into £25m hotel

After years of neglect and decay , not to mention fire damage, Crumlin Road Courthouse is to be transformed by the Signature Living Group in a restoration project valued at £25 million.

Dating from 1850 the landmark building has fallen into total disrepair but the firm plans to restore it to its former glory as the first in a series of five hotels it aims to build in the city over the next three years.

“The courthouse is currently in a state of disrepair and our focus will be on sympathetically restoring the building to its former glory in a way that is both true to its architectural heritage and aligns with the exciting style for which Signature Living is reputed,” said Signature chairman Lawrence Kenwright.

“We see ourselves simply as custodians of these important buildings and the courthouse will very much still belong to the people of Belfast.

“For us, this is an investment in the local Belfast community and, as well committing around £25m to the restoration project, we will be investing in a series of community initiatives - including the launch of a special apprenticeship academy - in the coming months.”

The courthouse was designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, but inside its grandeur the gruesome crimes of the Shankill Butchers were laid bare in forensic detail and the supergrass trials were the largest in British criminal history. In 1983 22 IRA suspects were jailed for a total of 4,000 years.

The courthouse was linked by a tunnel with the Crumlin Road Gaol which has itself been transformed into a successful tourist attraction.

Belfast City Council Chief Executive Suzanne Wylie said a surge in tourism in Belfast in recent years required over 2,000 additional beds.

“So this hotel is good news for the city and complements steps being taken to continuing driving a growth in visitor numbers to the city through initiatives such as the IRFU Rugby World Cup 2023 bid and the European Capital of Culture 2023 bid,” she added.