Expressions of Interest sought for Fort George site

Date published: 17 September 2018

Expressions of Interest are being sought from developers to clarify the private sector’s appetite for investment in the Fort George site in Derry~Londonderry.

The Fort George site in Derry~Londonderry
The Fort George site in Derry~Londonderry

The 15 acre Fort George site owned by the Department for Communities (DfC) has received outline planning permission.  The remediation of the site is currently underway and will be completed by the end of the year.

The Department has appointed the property consultants Lisney to manage the process.  The Expressions of Interest exercise will run for eight weeks from 17 September 2018 until 12 noon on 9 November 2018.

Announcing the exercise, Damian Mulholland, Director of the Department’s North West Development Office at the Department for Communities said:  “With the remediation of Fort George underway, the Department is now moving to test the nature and scale of market interest in the site.  Given its strategic location adjacent to the A2, for which DfI has published road upgrade proposals, the presence of Catalyst Inc, which has sought planning permission for a second building, and an impressive river frontage, we believe the site is ideally placed to deliver lasting social and economic benefits for the City.  We look forward to receiving suitably ambitious proposals to realise that potential.”

In the case of a positive response, the Department will then proceed with a full marketing exercise to select a purchaser.

As the creation of jobs is a key priority for the Department in regenerating the site, the proposals received in response to the expression of interest exercise will be assessed against a number of criteria including job creation.

Andrew Gawley, Director, Lisney said: “Planning proposals for this 6.2 hectare riverfront site include over 885,000 sq. ft. of gross floor space for mixed use facilities, making it a supremely unique opportunity.  The team at Lisney in Belfast is delighted to partner with Department for Communities on this very exciting project that will ultimately play a huge role in the regeneration of the area.  At this initial stage, we are certainly expecting Expressions of Interest from potential investors within the UK and Ireland, but I would also expect enquiries from further afield.”

All interested parties should contact Lisney as follows:-

Andrew Gawley
Associate Director at Lisney
1st Floor, Montgomery House
29-33 Montgomery Street
Belfast BT1 4NX
Tel: 02890 501501
Email: agawley@lisney.com

Notes to editors: 

  1. Fort George is a strategic regeneration site on the west bank of the city and is a level 6.2 hectare site.  It is strategically positioned off the Strand Road, which is one of the main arterial routes in to the city centre, a key gateway to the City.  It is also a river front site.  The planning application (Ref: A/2012/0335/0) was submitted in July 2012 with Outline Planning Permission granted on 2 December 2015 to bring forward a development framework for regenerating the site following an extensive Environmental Impact Assessment. The proposal sets out a development framework for the 6.2 hectare site and provides for 82,274 square metres of gross floor space to include residential, office, employment & education uses, retail, cafes, bars and restaurants and associated multi-storey and surface car parking. The proposal allows for the completion of an Expressions of Interest Exercise to identify the level of interest from developers for the Fort George site
  2. Deane Public Works Ltd are currently undertaking remediation works for the Department at the Fort George site in line with planning conditions to address low level asbestos and other contaminants such as heavy carbons previously identified.  This work will be completed in early 2019 and will prepare the site for inward investment
  3. The Department may take photographs and videos at announcements and events to publicise its work.  Photographs, interviews, videos or other recordings may be issued to media organisations for publicity purposes or used in promotional material, including in publications, newspapers, magazines, other print media, on television, radio and electronic media (including social media and the internet).  Photographs and videos will also be stored on the department’s internal records management system.  The department will keep the photographs and recordings for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which they have been obtained.  The department’s Privacy Policy is available on our website
  4. Media enquiries to DfC Press Office on 028 9082 3505 or email press.office@communties-ni.gov.uk.  Out of office hours, please contact the duty press officer on 028 90378110
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