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Belfast Harbour and Farrans Construction Reach Topping Out Milestone on City Quays 3

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7th October 2021

Belfast Harbour and Farrans Construction Reach Topping Out Milestone on City Quays 3

Northern Ireland’s largest Grade A office development has taken a significant step forward today with the announcement from Belfast Harbour that Farrans Construction has topped out on City Quays 3 seeing the completion of the external structure of the building.

At 250,000 square feet, City Quays 3 will accommodate 1,800 people when it is completed and represents Belfast Harbour’s largest property development project to date.

The building is the latest component of City Quays, a contemporary, sustainable, waterfront development that includes commercial offices, retail, cafes, restaurants and multi-storey car parking, as well as the AC by Marriott Hotel. The area will be amplified by the recent announcement that Belfast Harbour plans to develop a multi-million pound urban garden and public space.

Construction started on City Quays 3 in 2019 and the development has supported 600 construction jobs during the build including a number of apprenticeship roles. Work on the building is expected to be completed before the end of this year.

The project, designed by Belfast-based architects RPP, is being built to the BREEAM Excellent sustainability standard, placing it in the top 10 per cent of sustainable new buildings in the UK. The new building is also one of the first development projects in the city to incorporate design elements to help navigate the challenges of the pandemic and reduce surface contact in the workplace.

Belfast Harbour
Darrell McGuckian, buildings operations director, Farrans Construction and Belfast Harbour’s CEO, Joe O’Neill

Joe O’Neill, Belfast Harbour’s CEO, said: “Our ‘Port for Everyone’ vision is to develop an iconic waterfront for the city, working with partners to create a vibrant space that all communities can enjoy, and making Belfast Harbour an attractive place to live, work, visit and invest. That vision is one step closer with the topping out of City Quays 3, which will be Northern Ireland’s largest Grade A office development.”

“City Quays is already home to a growing community of diverse blue-chip businesses, with offices at City Quays 1 and 2 fully let and over 1,000 people working in the buildings. We are excited to be nearing the completion of City Quays 3 later this year.”

Leading building and civil engineering contractor Farrans Construction is delivering the 16 storey office development. With over 75 years’ experience of world-class projects across the UK and Ireland, the company employs more than 500 people.

Noel Cosgrove, project manager from Farrans, said:

“We know that the people of Belfast have been watching the progress on City Quays 3 and in the last week we have fitted the final glass panels to successfully top out on this impressive structure. As a team we have a real sense of pride in what we are delivering here. The views from the building over the marina, Belfast Lough and the whole city will mean that every day will be different in this bright workspace.”


ENDS

IMAGE CAPTION: (L-R) Darrell McGuckian, buildings operations director, Farrans Construction and Belfast Harbour’s CEO, Joe O’Neill.

About Belfast Harbour

Belfast Harbour is Northern Ireland’s leading gateway for trade, services and tourism, handling more than two thirds of the imports and exports that come into and out of the region by sea. The Port is essential to the smooth running of day-to-day life in the region and a major contributor to Northern Ireland’s economy. The Harbour estate is also home to a vibrant community of people and businesses, including commercial and residential real estate, film studios and leading companies in sectors such as IT, R&D, engineering and aerospace who employ over 27,000 people.

Working in partnership with stakeholders, Belfast Harbour’s vision is to become the world’s best regional port by growing economic activity, adopting new technology and upholding the highest environmental standards. Belfast Harbour is also committed to developing an iconic waterfront that is a standout destination for the city’s residents and visitors.

As a Trust Port, all profits from Belfast Harbour are re-invested for the long-term benefit of our customers and wider society.

About Farrans

Farrans Construction, a CRH company, is a leading building and civil engineering contractor with over 75 years’ experience of delivering world-class projects across the UK and Ireland. The company, which employs more than 500 people, has offices in London, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Belfast with further site offices connecting its regional network.

About CRH

CRH (LSE: CRH, ISE: CRG, NYSE: CRH) is the leading building materials business in the world, employing c.76,600 people at c.3,100 operating locations in 29 countries. It is the largest building materials business in North America and in Europe. It also has positions in Asia. CRH manufactures and supplies a range of integrated building materials, products and innovative solutions which can be found throughout the built environment, from major public infrastructure projects to commercial buildings and residential structures. A Fortune 500 company, CRH is a constituent member of the FTSE 100 Index, the EURO STOXX 50 Index, the ISEQ 20 and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe. CRH’s American Depositary Shares are listed on the NYSE.

For more information visit www.crh.com