Sited within the grounds of Belfast Zoo, the Floral Hall was built in the mid-1930s and was one of Belfast’s foremost entertainment venues for over 35 years – both as a dance hall, and later as a venue for bands such as Pink Floyd and roller discos.
Signature Living’s founder and chairman Lawrence Kenwright hopes to turn Floral Hall into “a leading entertainment, conference and wedding venue”.
The hotel and property developer, who is behind the George Best Hotel and turning the Crumlin Road Courthouse into a hotel, said he wanted to acquire and restore the venue.
Now owned by Belfast City Council, the venue has been closed to the public since the 1970s. It is estimated that an investment of around £5m would be required to restore it to a useable state.
Speaking to an audience of investors, developers and occupiers today at the MIPIM international property investment conference in Cannes, Mr Kenwright spoke of his ambitions to restore the “gem in Belfast’s social and cultural history to its former glory”.
“I immediately fell in love with the Floral Hall and its rich history as ‘The Ballroom of Romance’ in Belfast when I first saw it several months ago,” he said.
“That so many love stories originate there is very special and, understandably, there is clearly a huge amount of affection for the building within the Belfast and wider Northern Ireland community.
“This is what Signature Living does best – sympathetically restoring precious, heritage buildings and simply acting as their custodian, once again giving them a place in culture and tourism for the enjoyment of local people and tourists.”
Source: Belfast Live
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