A redevelopment project worth £11million for the Bogside in Derry has made "significant progress" after a deal with a landowner was finally agreed.
The Executive Office at Stormont said the site at Meenan Square - where a number of buildings including the Bogside Inn were demolished in 2021 to make way for an 'Urban Village' project - has now been purchased by Apex Housing Association.
Sinn Fein MLA Padraig Delargy welcomed news that construction is due to begin in the autumn, subject to planning permission.
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Talks had been ongoing between the housing association and the previous owners, Westco Developments (NI) Limited, for some time.
The Permanent Secretary tasked with overseeing the work of Stormont's Executive Office in the absence of a First and Deputy First Minister, Denis McMahon, said plans for a 'community hub' and social housing can now go ahead.
"I am really pleased to see this progress towards the redevelopment of the Meenan Square site," he said.
"It is a significant step towards the transformation and much-needed renewal of the site, which will bring real benefits to the local community through the creation of a shared community hub, improved access to essential services and the provision of social and affordable housing."
The news was also welcomed by the Sinn Fein MLA Padraig Delargy, who said: "This is a hugely exciting project by Apex Housing in partnership with the Executive Office’s Urban Villages Initiative and Meenan Square Developments Ltd.
“It represents a huge investment in the heart of the Bogside that will see the construction of a new community hub, much-needed social housing and other local amenities."
The Foyle MLA continued: “It will also signal the total transformation of a site which has become an eyesore and a source of anti-community behaviour which has blighted the lives of local residents for many years."
He added: “With construction now due to begin by next Autumn, I am sure those residents and the wider community will be delighted that, finally, the site is set to be put to a positive use.”
A spokesperson for the Executive Office said: "The project, to be delivered by the Executive Office’s Urban Villages Initiative in conjunction with Apex Housing Association and Meenan Square Developments Ltd, will see the construction of a mixed-use development comprising housing, a community hub, and essential local amenities. The project will be primarily funded by the Executive Office, supported by Apex Housing Association and the Department for Communities."
The spokesperson added: "Following completion of the site acquisition, the project will be subject to a formal planning application, including full public consultation giving the local community an opportunity to share their views.
"It is anticipated that the project will commence on site by Autumn 2024."
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