CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF THE CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYERS FEDERATION
Ulster University’s new Belfast campus (2022) photo credit: Donal McCann.
Belfast Grand Central Station (2024) photo credit: Donal McCann.
scene, and became home to a then up-and-coming ice hockey team, the Belfast Giants. The past two decades have seen major investment, with radical change to landscapes and lifestyles across the country. Farrans and Gilbert Ash were also behind the construction of a major addition to Belfast’s retail offering in 2008. Victoria Square, with its distinctive dome, was a huge boost to the city as one of Europe’s largest retail complexes. Work began on a new Lyric Theatre in Ridgeway Street in Belfast in 2009. It was completed by Gilbert Ash in April 2011. Titanic Belfast, constructed by Harcourt Developments, broke ground in May 2009. Designed to look like the ship’s bow, it opened to critical acclaim in March 2012 and has become a leading tourist attraction. And in Derry, the Guildhall’s £9.5m restoration was completed by H&J Martin in 2013. The last decade saw leisure facilities in Belfast gain the largest capital investment of its kind in the UK, with Heron Brothers taking the helm. Graham revamped the former Windsor House office block in Bedford Street into a luxury hotel, which is the most expensive built in the region – the Grand Central Hotel. The following year was marked
by improvements to travel infrastructure, with Farrans
breathing new life into this part of the city. On the eve of CEF’s 80th year, Belfast saw the opening of a major public transport project led by Farrans and Sacyr. Translink’s Belfast Grand Central Station is Ireland’s largest integrated transport hub. Looking to the future, the CEF turned its attention to one of the sector’s long-running challenges: attracting the next generation to the sector. The CEF is spear-heading industry- and education engagement with the launch of Construction Futures. In particular, diversity is key, and the Federation continues to showcase the opportunities for women in the sector. It’s been an absolutely remarkable eight decades for the Construction Employers Federation, and for the construction industry in Northern Ireland. From rebuilding our streets from the rubble of war, to constructing infrastructure that has shaped a modern Northern Ireland, together this sector has made this place a vibrant destination to live, learn, work and visit. In marking this remarkable milestone, the Federation remains steadfast in shaping and protecting the industry’s future.
beginning work on the North West Transport Hub, whilst Farrans and Graham completed the A6 dual carriageway upgrade – improving conditions on a major rural commuter route. Queen’s University’s iconic Lanyon building underwent a £5.5m restoration under the guiding hand of Killowen Contracts. In 2020, the global challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic affected the construction sector here on many fronts, including serious supply chain delays. The CEF successfully negotiated with the Northern Ireland Executive to help contractors recover costs, and to introduce protection clauses in response to rising inflation and impact on the sector. Despite these challenges, contractors worked to restore the former Bank Buildings after a fire ripped through it. With skylines along the River Lagan in Belfast evolving rapidly, the development of City Quays by Farrans, Lagan, Gilbert Ash and Herons further expanded the Belfast Harbour waterfront as a base for many employers. 2021 also saw Ulster University’s new Belfast campus finally opening its doors to 15,000 staff and students,
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