Belfast '˜Tribeca' developers urged to rethink name

DUP councillor Lee Reynolds has urged all other parties to back calls for a rethink of the ‘Tribeca’ branding ahead of a meeting of the city council later today.

The Castlebrooke Investments regeneration scheme covers a substantial area around St Anne’s Cathedral, bordering Royal Avenue, Donegall Street, Lower Garfield Street and Rosemary Street.

The name ‘Tribeca’ – an abbreviated form of ‘triangle beside the cathedral’ – is used for a fashionable area of Lower Manhattan in New York which has become synonymous with arts and culture thanks to the Tribeca film festival and nearby Broadway, heart of the American theatre industry.

But Mr Reynolds believes Belfast should use a more “authentic” name for its own development, rather than adopting the name used by New York.

“There’s two important parts of branding – authenticity and distinctiveness.

“Tribeca is not distinctive to Belfast and it is not authentic. I just don’t think that it works.

“This is a major development in our city and it is a welcome investment. We do want to see that area brought back to life more than it already has been.

“But with any big development you want to get people onside and they’ve just managed to alienate people by coming up with this brand.”

He continued: “We aren’t New York, we’re Belfast. We should have a name that reflects that.”

Asked if he had any names in particular he would prefer, Mr Reynolds said: “I’m not being prescriptive on that. They (Castlebrooke Investments) have come forward with something in goodwill, for good reasons, but it hasn’t worked.

“We’re not dictating anything. We’re simply saying ‘you’ve come up with a name for a major part of our city and we think you’ve got it wrong – go back to the drawing board’.”

Belfast Lord Mayor, Sinn Fein councillor Deirdre Hargey, shares Mr Reynolds’ distaste for the name.

When it was announced by Castlebrooke Investments in November, she tweeted: “ I’m sorry but this is Belfast not New York. We are proud of our city, its people, its place names and its heritage, that’s what gives Belfast its soul!”

Councillors at today’s meeting will be addressed by Conor Shields from the ‘Save Cathedral Quarter’ campaign.

Mr Reynolds will submit the following motion: “This Council, whilst welcoming investment and the regeneration of our City, calls upon Castlebrook Investments to drop the Tribeca branding for their City centre regeneration scheme.”

The scheme will see the creation of residential space, office units as well as retail and hospitality elements.