One of the most ambitious and eagerly awaited schemes is the Titanic Quarter, the re-development of the Queen’s Island area of Belfast’s waterfront.

The vision for the site is of an entirely new city centre quarter that will provide employment, housing, leisure, tourism and cultural facilities.

The 185-acre site is owned in a public/private partnership by the Port of Belfast and developer Titanic; it is still in the planning stage and work is expected to take years to complete.

The listed and historical buildings and structures will be preserved; these include the Abercorn Basin, which once brought back to life should house cafés, bars, restaurants and a new cruise liner berth.

Chief executive, Mike Smith, believes the Titanic and Olympic Slipways area has the potential for an iconic development such as a major event space and a Titanic heritage and interpretive centre. “Titanic Quarter will be a high quality scheme with leisure, tourism and heritage as important elements,” he said.

“It is expected to attract £1bn of investment and create 20,000 jobs over the next 20 years.” See also Leisure Property October 2003, p 82