House of Fraser Takes New Department Store in Belfast

LONDON-House of Fraser, Britain’s third-largest department store chain, has agreed to open a 200,000-sf department store in Belfast.

The agreement with Amstelland NV subsudiary Multi Development Corp means the store will anchor the £250 million ($390 million) regenerated Victoria Square area. Work is expected to start early in 2003, with a view to opening in 2006.

The 200,000-sf Belfast shop will be one of the largest House of Fraser stores anywhere in the UK. The project is centred on two multi-leveled covered streetslinking to a 110 ft-diameter glass dome that will be one of thelargest covered spaces in a shopping mall anywhere inEurope.

MDC Managing Director Nico Veldhuis said: “‘We are very pleasedto bring House of Fraser to Belfast and believe it is a greatboost for shopping in the city. This is the sort of quality retailer we said the Victoria Squareregeneration initiative would attract, a name new for the city.”