Primark bosses have said they hope to be able to share an update on the re-opening of their flagship Belfast store "in the coming months".
In a new statement, those behind the clothing retailer said they're pleased with progress on the "complex" work to bring the iconic city centre building back to life.
A fire broke out in Bank Buildings, home to Primark, on August 28, 2018, while the Castle Street store was undergoing a major refurbishment and extension that was estimated to cost £30m.
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It took firefighters four days to extinguish the blaze which ripped through the historic building, but they managed to save the refurbished rear extension and adjacent properties.
In a statement to Belfast Live, a Primark spokesperson said: “Since the devastating fire, it has been our ambition to restore Bank Buildings and reopen it as our flagship Belfast store.
“We are committed to taking a conservation-led approach to restore this much-loved listed building of historical significance to Belfast city.
“The work is complex and takes time, however we are pleased with our progress and we look forward to sharing more information on this project in the coming months.”
Planning permission for the restoration work was given the green light by Belfast City Council in November 2019 with work due to begin in January 2020.
The proposal was for a ‘conservation led redevelopment and restoration’ of Bank Buildings, including the reinstatement of previously removed upper floor structures from Bank Street, Royal Avenue and Castle Street façades.
It also involves the replacement of a Bank Street wall built in the 1970s to be replaced with one that has ‘more appropriate brickwork’.
In the years since the fire, Primark in Belfast city centre has operated across two premises - its rear extension to Bank Buildings and at Fountain House along Donegall Place.
The company has previously declined to say whether or not the store on Donegall Place will remain open once the Bank Buildings store is fully reopened or if they will be recruiting more staff ahead of the reopening.
More than 100 firefighters tackled the August 2018 blaze from 14 fire appliances including six specialist rigs over four days.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service later found the cause of the blaze to be "accidental".
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