New £1.3bn property portfolio to drive investment in Northern Ireland

The Department for International Trade (DIT) and Invest Northern Ireland has launched a portfolio of property investment opportunities worth more than £1.3bn in Northern Ireland.

The seven projects include opportunities for UK and international investors in a range of sectors. The portfolio includes Belfast projects such as the £365m development in the Titanic Quarter offering film production facilities, 2,000 residential units and offices as well as the opportunity to play a part in the comprehensive regeneration of the city’s train station at Weavers Cross.

The launch of the portfolio follows on from recent research by CBRE identifying Belfast as the third fastest growing office market in the world. The combination of a young population, high quality education and thriving tourism is seen as an attractive offer for international investors with 75% of the 900 overseas companies in Northern Ireland choosing to reinvest in the country.

Launching the investment portfolio at the MIPIM property expo in London, minister for investment Mark Garnier said: “There has never been a better time to invest in Northern Ireland and these projects give investors the opportunity to do just that. As an international economic department our message is loud and clear - the UK is open for business, and we can help find the right investment for you.”

Steve Harper, Invest NI’s executive director for international business, said: “We are delighted to be able to showcase Northern Ireland’s strong proposition and the genuine commercial opportunities which are currently ripe for investment in conjunction with the Department for International Trade.”

The seven projects in the portfolio are:

• Titanic Quarter: further phases of development to include studios and post-production facilities as well as offices and residential
• Weavers Cross: potential for phased development of offices, residential, hotel and retail
• Sirocco Quays: mixed use development of offices, hotel, residential, retail and leisure
• One Bankmore Square: grade A offices with full planning permission
• 21-2 Corporation Street: £92 million development including hotel, offices and residential
• Norwich Union House: c. 17,000 sq m of offices, hotel and retail in the city centre
• Baptist Church: grade A offices close to the proposed new transport hub

The portfolio has been put together by the DIT’s capital investment team which leads the government’s drive to attract and support international investment into large scale property, regeneration, infrastructure and energy projects across the UK, working in collaboration with Invest NI, Northern Ireland’s regional economic development agency.