New details on Odyssey’s £10m revamp

An artist’s impression of how the Odyssey Pavilion could look THE new owners of Belfast’s Odyssey Pavilion have unveiled further details of the venue’s £10m transformation.

And Isle of Man-based Matagorda 2, which bought the pavilion last year, has said “hundreds” of new jobs will be created during the construction phase of the improvements.

The business has already won planning permission for the first phase of redevelopment, including a new main entrance and a rejig of existing units. It currently has a cinema, bowling alley, restaurants and bars.

Now it is seeking planning permission for more improvements, which it said include “improved visitor access to all levels and the greater use of the central open space”.

Guy Hollis from Matagorda 2 said: “We are delighted to be able to rejuvenate the Odyssey Pavilion, bringing it back to being a key component of Belfast’s leisure and entertainment offering.

“Our key objective is to improve the overall visual quality and tenant offering of the pavilion, making it a more attractive and user friendly destination.”

“The scheme will help in the ongoing and successful regeneration of the Titanic Quarter and drive additional footfall to this part of the city.”

Robert Fitzpatrick, chief executive of the Odyssey Trust Company, which oversees the pavilion and neighbouring SSE Arena, said: “For some years, the Odyssey Pavilion has suffered from under-investment in comparison to W5 and the SSE Arena.

“It is now very heartening to see the new owner make a strong long-term commitment to what is an extremely important asset for the people of Northern Ireland.”