Detailed proposals for a £100m visitor attraction commemorating the story of the ill-fated cruise liner Titanic have been submitted to the Belfast City Council (BCC).

The plans presented to the council include a 11-acre centrepiece building, based on the slipway where Titanic was built, and a ‘ghost ship’, a light-sculpture of the ship that would be visible across the city’s harbour skyline.

Further attractions would include a series of large galleries using a combination of artefacts, models and interactive multimedia to relate the stories of both industrial Belfast and the Titanic.

The development would be linked with other historical sites associated with the ship and running for more than a mile along the shore of Belfast Lough, including a large area for temporary exhibitions and a Titanic-themed restaurant and retail outlet.

The proposals would transform the listed areas within the existing Titanic Quarter as well as the Harland and Wolff Drawing Offices, the Hamilton and Alexander Dry Docks and the Thompson Dry Dock.

Diane Dodds, chair of Belfast City Council’s tourism sub-committee, said: “Our goal of marking Titanic’s birthplace in the ship’s home city is now one step closer.

“The concept would celebrate the achievement that was Titanic, while also commemorating the tragedy and educating the world about our city’s significant role in the story.”

The proposals are the result of a £70,000 consultation exercise on the Titanic Signature Project by the BCC and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB).