Over half-a-million pounds pledged to help revive Floral Hall in Belfast Zoo where 1960s music stars used to perform
Councillors have agreed to pledge over £500,000 towards the repair of the Floral Hall’s roof at Belfast Zoo, north Belfast.
The large art deco hall dates back to the 1930s, but has been abandoned since about 1972.
It has sat as an increasingly overgrown and dilapidated sight in the heart of the busy zoo ever since.
The hall used to be popular for dances and concerts, hosting Pink Floyd, Lulu, and The Small Faces during the 1960s (it is sometimes said that Jimi Hendrix played there too, although it appears he actually played at Whitla Hall in south Belfast).
Belfast City Council's multi-party Strategic Policy and Resources Committee this morning approved £565,000 for a new roof for the venue.
They were told that health-and-safety work had already been done on the building (understood to be the clearing of asbestos).
However a report presented to council said: “As there is no roof covering over any part of the building, it is fully exposed to weather and natural elements which presents a very high potential for the building fabric to degrade further.”
The £565,000 “will make the building watertight and allow for exploration of further opportunities for the building”, the report said.
The committee’s decision is still subject to ratification at the next full council meeting on Monday, February 2.
SDLP councillor Carl Whyte said that “the next stage will be to engage with people across Belfast to decide how we bring the Floral Hall back to public use to benefit the community in north Belfast and our city as a whole”.
He added: “For many people the Floral Hall holds special memories.
"It hosted major acts including Pink Floyd and Roy Orbison and was a hub for dances and roller skating.
"I hope this investment allows a new generation to create their own memories here and plays a real role in regenerating this part of our city.”