An application has been sent to Belfast City Council to transform the former War Memorial Building into a 120-bed hotel in the heart of the city centre.
9-13 Waring Street, located in the Cathedral Quarter, has been sitting vacant for over 10 years since the Council of the Northern Ireland War Memorial moved their museum just around the corner to Talbot Street.
Plans have been submitted to transform the former office space into a new hotel with a bar/restaurant and covered rooftop terrace and return the 'historic building to its former glory'.
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The planning application reads: "Change of use from museum and vacant office building to 120 bedroom hotel including demolition of existing rear return and erection of 6 storey extension, and single storey roof top extension with ancillary bar/restaurant, covered roof top terrace and associated site works."
According to Plan Belfast, an online community that documents Belfast's planning applications, the building was constructed in 1959 -1962 and was designed by English architect J Michael Bowley. It was opened by the Queen Mother in 1963 and initially provided offices for charities and organisations linked to the Armed Forces.
Consarc Consulting Architects Ltd has said in the Design and Access statement submitted that the hotel will also include a courtyard space and will be "sympathetic to the design" of the original building.
They said: "Guest room accommodation will be placed on the upper floors with reception areas and restaurants on the ground floor. The two-storey link building to the rear is to be replaced by a new five storey block positioned to form a new internal courtyard and designed to be sympathetic to the design of the existing building
"The change of use to hotel accommodation provides an effective use of this city centre site, which will help to serve Belfast’s growing tourist industry while rescuing and re-tasking an important historic building and returning it to it’s former glory."
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