Heron Bros land major contract

Building work on the landmark 200,000 sq ft city centre project, The Paper Exchange, gets underway this week.

The contract was awarded to Heron Bros, a family firm, by Wirefox, the Holywood-based investment and development company behind the mixed-use scheme.

Located in the heart of the city centre at 43-63 Chichester Street, the world class office scheme will accommodate up to 2,000 people once complete and represents a major boost in confidence for the city.

The construction contract for the 11-storey building was awarded following a competitive tender process and is due for completion by December 2021.

Martin O’Kane, group deputy managing director at Heron Bros, said: “Few commercial developments can truly earn the title of ‘landmark building’ but The Paper Exchange is an exciting exception and we’re proud to have been chosen to oversee its construction and to deliver on the exacting design requirements of this iconic, transformative project for Belfast and Northern Ireland.”

The project, designed by Belfast-based architects TODD, will be built to the BREEAM Excellent sustainability standard, placing it in the top 10 per cent of sustainable new buildings in the UK.

A recognised, leading construction company with an annual turnover of around £100 million and almost 250 employees, its headquarters are in Draperstown. It also has offices in London and Glasgow.

Heron Bros recently delivered Belfast City Council’s £105 million Belfast Leisure Transformation Programme which included the creation of three new leisure facilities across the city, valued at £60m.