TITANIC QUARTER, BELFAST

'Titanic Quarter' (Irish: ''Ceantar an Titanic'') in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is an area situated on reclaimed land in Belfast city harbour, known until recently as 'Queen's Island' (Irish: ''Oileán na Banríona'').
This huge area, previously owned by Harland and Wolff shipyards in Belfast, and named after the company's most famous product RMS Titanic, has been earmarked for development as a blue-chip technology district, including apartments, a riverside entertainment district, and a major Titanic-themed attraction.
In July 2006, work began on the first stage of the development. Previously, Titanic Quarter was largely a brownfield site, notable only for the presence of the abandoned headquarters of Harland & Wolff (now relocated). Since 2005 , it has also been the home of the Northern Ireland Science Park, a hi-tech science park affiliated closely with Queen's University Belfast. The Odyssey Complex is adjacent to Titanic Quarter. On 31 October 2006, BBC News reported that Belfast Institute for Further and Higher Education plans to build a new £44 million campus in Titanic Quarter, moving from its Belfast city centre sites on Brunswick Street and College Square East in 2009.
Titanic Quarter is also the name of a private development company that is developing the area. The area also has a proposed light-rail transit link to the city centre and the near-by George Best Belfast City Airport - CITI.

Contents

History

Technology Quarter

The future

See also

External links

History

The area first came to public attention as 'Titanic Park' in 1995 when it was officially launched by U.S. President Bill Clinton at the Washington Peace Conference. Plans accelerated in September 2002 when the former head of public-private investment company Laganside Corporation, Mike Smith, was appointed as Chief Executive of the renamed "Titanic Quarter". In October 2005, building work commenced on 'Abercorn Apartments', the first official development of Titanic Quarter.

Technology Quarter

Titanic Quarter may eventually develop into a hi-technology orientated village, a new-model futuristic sector, in the mould of Paris's La Défense. In the past, entrepreneurship in specialist technology sectors has been evident in Northern Ireland, in such areas as shipbuilding and aerospace. Harland and Wolff and Shorts Bombardier, the province's two key players in the above industries, have recently downsized substantially, at the loss of a great number of jobs and an even greater level of confidence for Belfast and Northern Ireland. Titanic Quarter is, however, seen as an attempt to encourage a reversal in fortune, by building research and development capital (through endeavours such as the Northern Ireland Science park) while at the same time attracting leading blue-chip industries to set up in Belfast.

The future

As a functioning 'quarter' in Belfast, Titanic Quarter has yet to make any cultural imprint, and its ultimate outcome remains to be seen. Titanic Quarter's main challenge will be to achieve a truly happy organic development which is infused with the historic nature of the site and in harmony with the city as a whole.

See also

★ Harland and Wolff

★ Belfast Quarters

External links

★ Official site of the Titanic Quarter