Hopes for High Street boom in Belfast after Primark reopening at Bank Buildings

Four years after a fire devastated Belfast's Bank Buildings, the home of Primark is set to reopen and hopes are high for a city centre resurgence.

The iconic Victorian landmark is over 230 years old and has been owned by the clothing brand since the 1980s.

In August 2018, a fire ripped through the building causing the entire structure to collapse from within.

Architects were tasked with finding out what could be salvaged from the original building, of which only the three exterior walls remained.

Discussions then began to see if the original clock could be remade.

Stephen Douglas, a conservation architect on the project, told UTV: "The top floor of the building, which used to be a store room, is now part of the retail space and so we discussed the idea of making the clock visible from the inside of the building, as well as from the outside.

"So now when you come up to the top floor you have a very high ceiling, you see the underside of the roof and see the back of the clock."

The store is 75% bigger than before, with 53 fitting rooms and 58 tills across 5 floors - one extra level dedicated to homeware.

Its hoped the expected popularity of the store will help increase footfall in the city centre and support retailers struggling during the current cost of living crisis.

Area Manager Jacqui Byers told UTV: "We have also created 300 new jobs which will help stimulate the economy locally, but we want to drive footfall and we want to see that our traders and our neighbours in Belfast benefit from our reopening too."

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