Around £5m has been earmarked for the redevelopment of the site, located between Ulster University Campus and St Anne’s Cathedral.
The space’s make over will feature an advanced lighting technology, with the projection system casting images onto the university building.
Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Tracy Kelly welcomed the project as “both ambitious and innovative” and said it will “create a world class urban space where families, students, workers and visitors can meet, relax and be entertained all year round, both night and day.”
She added: “We also want the space to become an events and cultural hub, helping reinvigorate this part of the city centre which is undergoing a transformation. We look forward to it hosting numerous small and large-scale events ranging from Culture Night, music concerts and children’s festivals, to food markets and much more besides, helping to support and boost the city’s annual cultural programme.”
Around £5m has been earmarked for the project
A new war memorial is also in the blueprints for the refurbishment as a nod to those who died during the Belfast Blitz during the Second World War in 1941.
The bombardments, which took place in April and May, claimed almost 1,000 lives and damaged as many as 50,000 homes in the city.
Ms Kelly continued: “This area was badly impacted by air raids during World War 2, so Cathedral Gardens will be a fitting home to a new Belfast Blitz Memorial – a space where people can pause, reflect and honour those who lost their lives.”
Councillor Kelly continued: “In the last few years the council has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring our city centre continues to thrive and grow. Belfast Stories, a stunning new public space, visitor attraction and creative hub for the city will open on Royal Avenue in 2030. We recently purchased the historic Assembly Rooms in Cathedral Quarter, and work is now underway to carefully consider options for its future use.”
(Left to right) Professor Duncan Morrow from Ulster University, Tzvetelina Bogoina from Cathedral Quarter BID, Reverend Cameron Mack from St Anne’s Cathedral and Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Tracy Kelly.
The site’s green spaces will also be punctuated with new shrubbery, plants and lawns being introduced.
Belfast City Council have pledged to include sustainability features such as a rainwater capture system that will water plants.
The Lord Mayor said the project is part of wider initiative to develop the Belfast area.
The Lord Mayor of Belfast touted the development as being “world class”
News Catch Up – Monday 5 January
“We also want to increase the number of people living in the city centre as part of long-term strategic plans, so our partnership with GRAHAM to deliver £280m worth of residential-led, mixed use city centre developments will play its part in achieving that,” Ms Kelly explained.
“This cluster of council-led development, along with the stunning new Ulster University campus, major student housing schemes and other investment in the vicinity, will truly revitalise this area of the city centre.
“Our successful Vacant to Vibrant initiative has also seen 48 grants awarded since 2022 to help restore vacant city centre properties. So we are delivering a broad range of initiatives to make the city centre the very best it can be.”