Regeneration plans for city centre spot lodged

Plans have been submitted to regenerate a prime Belfast city centre location in a £3m investment.Leisure and hospitality business Vertigo Group is behind the proposals to breathe new life into the site of the Haymarket bar and surrounding units on the corner of Royal Avenue and Gresham Street.The company, which currently owns and operates leisure facilities We Are Vertigo in Newtownbreda and Titanic Park, as well as outdoor hospitality venue Cargo by Vertigo, has recently purchased the site. It had held the lease on Haymarket since July 2021.Following an investment of £1.5m last year, the group will be investing a further £1.5m in the proposed plans which have been submitted to Belfast City Council.Spanning 24,000 sq ft, the blueprint include various hospitality venues, bars and restaurants creating a dynamic network of nightlife spots on a site where many of the units have lain vacant for years.The new venues will see the creation of 50 new permanent jobs and support 40 during construction.