A £3 MILLION restoration plan for Belfast's only surviving original market building, the 19th century St George's Market beside the river Lagan, was announced yesterday by the city council to widespread acclaim by heritage interests.
The vast, single storey, red brick building, with elegant pedimented gateways, still functions as a general market on two days each week, although it has fallen into disrepair.
Announcing the award of a grant of over £2 million of National Lottery money towards the cost of the project, Prof Palmer Newbould, a trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, said the building would carry on the market tradition, which was in danger of disappearing.
"Markets are a way of life which we must not lose," he said. "I feel that St George's Market somehow epitomises Belfast. It will remain in its proper use."
St George's was constructed between 1890 and 1896 to a design by J.C. Bretland, Belfast city surveyor. On Tuesdays and Fridays it is still used by stallholders to sell food, clothing, hardware and bric a brac, and attracts some 5,000 customers each week.
A listed building, its restoration is an integral part of the plan to regenerate the Laganside area of Belfast. The plan is to renovate it and ensure its continued use as a market hall and open space. Internal and external repairs will enable an expansion of its uses for a wide variety of functions.
Internally St George's consists of large open spaces spanned by roof trusses on cast iron columns. The original drawings and many photographs of the building are available and will be used to ensure authentic restoration.