Iconic Custom House is brought back into Northern Ireland hands

The property is located next to Custom House Square, which has undergone refurbishment in recent years following investment from Belfast City Council, and is one of Belfast’s most popular outdoor leisure and event spaces, facilitating concerts such as Belsonic.

Custom House is also surrounded by some of Belfast’s most historic buildings, including the Albert Clock, Corn Exchange and McHugh’s Bar.

Straidorn, which is the property investment business of local businessman Neil McKibbin and his family, acquired Custom House from Watford-based property management company Mapeley for an undisclosed sum.

The Grade B+ listed building was designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, one of Belfast’s leading architects and built by D & J Fulton between 1854 and 1857.

Neil McKibbin, director of Straidorn Properties, said: “We are delighted to have had the opportunity to buy one of Belfast’s grandest buildings and to bring it back into local ownership. Custom House is of huge historic and strategic importance to the city and, for our business, this is a long-term investment which demonstrates our confidence not just in the future of Belfast’s office market but in the city itself.

“We invest in projects we can identify with and where we know we can add value. Despite the current economic climate, Belfast is still a very attractive location for inward investment and we believe it will continue to attract global occupiers who will contribute to the ongoing growth and development of the city.”

He wishes to link up the property with the City Centre, the Cathedral Quarter and Belfast Harbour’s City Quays. Split over four floors, Custom House has an internal floor space of 58,000 sq. ft, which is primarily used as office space.

The building retains a number of period features, such as its original staircase, extensive lobby areas and a number of decorative carvings, including three figures symbolising Neptune, Mercury and Britannia and others representing Manufacture, Peace, Commerce and Industry.

Straidorn intends to refurbish and modernise the open plan office accommodation after current tenant HMRC moves out in April, but also wants to preserve and enhance the building’s heritage. Straidorn has previously invested in transforming Flax House on Adelaide Street.

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