€1.46bn plan to rebuild Titanic harbour
Spectacular plans to transform the harbour where the ill-fated Titanic liner was built into Europe’s largest waterfront development could mean up to 20,000 new jobs, it was announced today.
The £1bn (€1.46bn) project in east Belfast will create 2,000 new homes as well as business, leisure and educational facilities.
Titanic Quarter will also feature parks, gardens and a promenade in a bid to fulfil the architect’s vision of creating a vibrant new community.
The legacy of the luxury ship, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1912, will be commemorated at a new tourist attraction which will celebrate the city’s rich shipbuilding heritage.
Secretary of State Peter Hain hailed the significance of the plans for the 185-acre site, on the banks of the River Lagan.
Mr Hain said: “We now have the opportunity to build on this momentum to re-establish Belfast and Northern Ireland as a great place to visit, invest in and above all to live in.
“Investment in the site is expected to be around £1bn, with potential for some 20,000 jobs by 2020.
“Our shared vision is that the whole Titanic Quarter development will make a unique contribution to regenerate and revitalise this site and contribute to a more prosperous future for Northern Ireland.”
The minister also said it was appropriate the Titanic should be the focus of the new project, which he hoped will be completed for the centenary of the ship’s launch.
“It is a unique opportunity to blend the best of the future with a recognition and acknowledgement of the best of the past,” he said.
US Architect Eric Kuhne outlined his vision for the project during an impressive presentation to more than 200 civic and business leaders in the grand drawing room were the Titanic was designed.
Mr Kuhne said: “In the past, this part of Belfast was a world leader in engineering and technological innovation.
“The new vision for Titanic Quarter creates that opportunity again through the building of a new community that restores the prestige of urban living in Belfast and establishes an environment for the new entrepreneurial class in the city to emerge.
“During the latter stages of the industrial revolution, Belfast attracted some of the best engineers, designers and artisans anywhere in the world.
“The new Titanic Quarter will be a major building block in creating the new economy jobs in information technology and services.”
Mr Kuhne forecast the success of the Northern Ireland Science Park in the Titanic Quarter, which has attracted investors such as Microsoft and Citigroup, would be mirrored in the new development.
He told the audience green space will enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors to the area and vowed no one would be more than 250 metres away from gardens.
Mr Kuhne said: “This will be no dormitory development.
“The pattern of parks, streets and gardens and the localised retail, healthcare, and educational facilities will be designed to build a community centred on genuine social interaction and shared values – a new focal point for Belfast.”
The architect, who has designed waterfront projects on four continents, also hopes the Belfast Institute for Further Education will establish a campus in the Quarter.
He said tourists will be attracted to the area by the Titanic Experience, an attraction which will include a reconstruction of the ship’s famous staircase and first class dining room.
Mr Kuhne’s previous projects include Darling Harbour in Sydney and Mid Valley Gardens in Kuala Lumpur.
