Belfast agent McKibben is quoting £4.75 million sterling for a half-acre site at the corner of Great Victoria Street and Grosvenor Road next door to the Grand Opera House. The site was sold in October 1996 for £1.05 million to the property company Ewart Plc, which was taken over by Dunloe Ewart in March 1998.

In February this year, Dunloe Ewart sold the site on for £3.5 million as part of a restructuring of its northern operations. A local company, Lesley Developments, bought it and has successfully applied for greater occupancy density on the site. It now has permission for 88,000 sq ft of office space, a 130-bed hotel, parking and apartments.