Merchant Square: Grade A development will help transform Belfast city centre

Work has begun on a major development of a nine-story Grade A office building it is claimed will transform the centre of Belfast's business district.
An impression of the new Merchant Square buildingAn impression of the new Merchant Square building
An impression of the new Merchant Square building

The Merchant Square development on Wellington Place will yield 227,000 sq ft of retail and office space and house up to 3,000 employees.

The project is due to complete by Q3 2019 and will dramatically improve the business infrastructure in the wider city centre.

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Funding for the project has been secured from the Northern Ireland Investment Fund and Fairfield Finance, with owner Oakland Group being advised by local firm Radius Corporate Finance.

The overall investment will result in the delivery of a £70 million building on Wellington Place, in the heart of Belfast’s Central Business District.

Guy Hollis from Oakland predicts an exciting future for Belfast City Centre.

“We know there is demand for Grade A office space in Belfast and we foresee increasing investment in the city in the coming years.

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“The Merchant Square development will have a transformative impact on Belfast City Centre and will herald the beginning of a new era of commercial infrastructure in the city.

“Our project will have a multiplier effect around Wellington Place, Queen Street and College Square.”

Among the unique features of Merchant Square is the sustainable nature of the development, with an emphasis on the provision of ‘green’ working space. Merchant Square has already been awarded a ‘CycleScore’ certificate in recognition of the provision of ‘best in class cycling facilities’ for tenants and the building is designed to attract a ‘very good’ Breeam rating, which measures the environmental impact. Each of the nine floors will provide up to 24,000 sq ft of workspace and the entire building will incorporate smart building technology through wireless networks.Lisa McAteer, director of CBRE which is overseeing the letting of the building said: “Merchant Square will deliver much needed Grade A space to the Belfast market. Most of the existing space in Belfast is fragmented and cannot accommodate companies wishing to secure large floor plates for sizeable teams or to provide for future expansion.”

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