Moxy hotel at Nambarrie factory site gets green light despite objections
A new hotel at the former Nambarrie tea factory building in Belfast has been given the green light despite objections from the owners of the Merchant hotel, which the new hotel will back onto.
The property, which LCN revealed last year would be part of the Marriott group’s Moxy brand, will boast 164 bedrooms with the existing factory building converted and an extension added.
A planning committee meeting unanimously approved the development, which will boast a ground floor bar and restaurant and another bar on the seventh floor ar.
The plan, by Waring Street Ltd, involves the retention of 21-23 Victoria Street and 41-51 Waring Street, with minor alterations to facades and the erection of a three storey extension to the buildings, with some internal demolition.
An email from Beannchor, which owns the five-star Merchant raised concerns that they have not received enough notification and about the scale, height and massing of the proposed extension and how it would impact on their own listed building.
Further emails from Beannchor also asked for a deferral pending a site visit and the new property “overshadowing” their own.
However, the plans were approved subject to conditions, one of whish is that the ground floor and rooftop bars will not operate after 1am.
None of the statutory consultees had any objections to the plan, subject to conditions. One condition is that the ground floor and rooftop bars will not operate after 1am.
Developers Pragma Planning previously said: “Our vision is to create a modern vibrant hotel that adds to and complements the existing offer in Belfast City Centre and which creates life and vitality at the junction of Victoria Street and Waring Street.
“The existing building has been on site for around 60 years and whilst there is no historical connection at the site with the tea trade the proposal seeks to draw from the history of the buildings and retain them.
‘Playful and affordable’
“This represents the introduction of new international brand to the Northern Ireland Market with an investment of approximately £25m and the creation of around 30 permanent full and part time posts.
“Over the past decade the number of overnight trips to Belfast has doubled to 1.5 million annually and associated expenditure and increased by 120%. Belfast City Council has prioritised tourism as a key growth area within its recovery plan and is working with other stakeholders to develop new attractions.
“A Moxy Hotel in Nambarrie Building has substantial potential to align with Belfast City Council’s vision by attracting a major international brand not currently represented in Belfast; to bring life to the junction of Waring Street and Victoria Street and vitality to this section of Victoria Street; to compliment the existing hotel offer in Belfast City Centre; to attract additional footfall to the already vibrant Cathedral Quarter and to rejuvenate this corner site which is a gateway to Cathedral Quarter.”
Moxy, which boasts more than 60 hotels around the world is described by Marriott as “playful and affordable”.
