Plans have been published for a new hotel in an early 20th century, five-story red brick building on Ormeau Avenue in Belfast. The planning application proposes converting Fermanagh House, which is currently classed as offices, into a 40-room hotel.
The building sits beside the Grade B1 listed Ormeau Baths, which date to the 1880s and now operate as offices. It also stands next to the 170-room Clayton Hotel and across from BBC Northern Ireland’s headquarters.
The site falls within the Linen Conservation Area, also known as the Linen Quarter. A planning statement describes the building as having “considerable architectural craftsmanship and design features.” Belfast City Council has warned that the area’s historic building stock has faced sustained pressure from new development, with a long-term loss of heritage buildings.
The application describes a hotel layout that keeps the existing shell of the building and retains the exterior, with signage covered under a separate consent. Inside, the plans call for keeping the building’s grand internal staircase while refurbishing all five floors.
The ground floor is set out for an entrance lobby, reception and office space, a cafe and servery, and a lounge and breakfast area. It also includes back-of-house space, meeting and events areas, toilets, and storage. The remaining floors are configured for 10 bedrooms per floor, served by front and rear stairs and a lift. The planning statement lists an added mezzanine level on the fourth floor totaling 116.9 square meters, and another section cites 119.68 square meters, creating five larger duplex suites.
The statement also ties the project to job creation and points to its location within a 10-minute walk of Belfast’s main bus and train stations. Belfast City Council will decide on the application. The applicant is listed as MSC AM 2 Ltd, a Belfast-based firm set up in April.
Read the full, original article from newsletter.co.uk here.