FORT GEORGE PLAN "DEAD"
Plans to transform the former Fort George site on Derry's riverfront are "dead in the water", a top economist has told the 'Journal'.
Launched to much fanfare in December 2007, the draft masterplan - which relies heavily on private sector investment - included radical proposals for the construction of skyscrapers, a hotel, bars, restaurants, shops, apartments and a public park with floating pavilions.
However, local economist Paul Gosling has told the 'Journal': "The Fort George plans are dead in the water."
He added: "Project Kelvin's telehouse, which was never part of the original proposals, is all that has been built on the site. All the other plans are completely unfeasible. The financial assumptions that went into the planning for Fort George are now non-existent."
Ilex - the city's urban regeneration company - has played down suggestions that the radical plan for the former British army base is completely defunct. However, it has not ruled out a return to the drawing board.
Ilex's Director of Development, Brenda Fraser, says the recent economic downturn has had an impact on both the Fort George and Ebrington plans due to the constraints on the private sector.
She told the 'Journal': "In light of the economic situation, we would be foolhardy if we didn't look at both masterplans again. They are not dead in the water but it would be imprudent not to look at them again."
She says that any rethink of the ambitious proposals will be informed by Ilex's Equality Impact Assessment and the long awaited Regeneration Plan which sought the views of more than 1,000 key stakeholders in the city. This is due to be published in early May.
The Fort George project was expected to take between seven and ten years to complete after construction work on the site commenced. However, more than two years on, no further details on the large scale plan have been published.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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