The wheels are in motion for the conversion of the Maysfield Leisure Centre in Belfast into Grade-A office space by US outsourcing firm Concentrix.
The former leisure centre has been empty since 2004, but after its purchase by Concentrix from Belfast City Council last June, it will now be turned into high level offices by the end of the year.
The company has submitted its planning application to build a new business contact centre, and will see a complete refurbishment of the East Bridge Street site, with the property replaced with a new three storey building.
The purchase of the semi-derelict building is part of a £36m investment in Belfast by the firm announced last year.
This will see the company create 1,000 new jobs by 2017, and so far has hired 800 new staff since last April.
It now employs 1,600 of its 1,800 UK employees in Belfast. Philip Cassidy, a senior vice president at Concentrix and the founder of Gem – which was taken over by Concentrix – said the new offices would be 102,000 sq ft initially, but would be extended to 130,000 sq ft.
The application, which was received by the Department of Environment (DOE) last month, said: “Proposal to convert existing building into new three storey office space with new two storey front block extension to include new data centre parking and bicycle parking at side and rear.”
The new site will be the firm’s fifth in Belfast, after Lanyon Place, River House on High Street, Lesley Exchange on East Bridge Street, and Concentrix House on Fountain Street.
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