Developer sought for second hotel planned for heart of Lisburn
COUNCIL officials are seeking an investor who will open a new hotel on a former car park overlooking Lisburn’s historic Castle Gardens.
An investment team at Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council is hoping to find a developer to build a hotel with a minimum of 80 bedrooms at the 1.39-acre site on Castle Street in the city.
It is hoped the project will boost footfall in the area.
If a developer can be attracted, it will mark the second substantial hospitality project planned for the city.
Bill Wolsey, the owner of The Merchant Hotel, Bullitt Hotel and pizza chain Little Wing, announced last year that he would open a £4m, 50-bed hotel in Lisburn Square this summer.
The concept, Mr Wolsey said, will favour the format of his Bullitt venture. He described it as modern with a “vibrant ground floor with a buzz about it”.
Mr Wolsey said he chose Lisburn as the location for his next investment as there was a void of high-end accommodation.
Jim Dillon, who chairs the council’s capital development committee, said: “The council is now at the stage of inviting potential hotel developers to request a pre-qualification questionnaire for the development of the Castle Street site.
“Not only is the site well positioned in the city centre, it also overlooks the striking historic Castle Gardens and once completed will help fill the gap in the market for hotel beds. The council is committed to growing the local economy with major capital investment projects and this one will certainly inject new life into our city centre.”
William Leathem, chairman of the council’s development committee, said: “The redevelopment of the site is part of the city’s wider regeneration scheme which will see significant investment to increase the tourism offering and bed provision as well as aiming to attract more visitors to the area who will spend more in the local economy.
“The hotel landscape in Northern Ireland, and in particular in Belfast, has changed significantly but it’s now time for developers to see the potential of investing in neighbouring locations to our capital.”
The council added: “It is envisaged that this unique full-service hotel development in Castle Street, with a minimum of 80 bedrooms, will be fully operational by 2022.”