Benny's of Belfast to make way

After several years of peace and stability, most of the north of Ireland has seen both renewal and physical change to its landscape, no where more so than Belfast. Even former areas of mass unemployment are now seeing investment and property prices rising in a catch up to the rest of Ireland.
The complete nature of this turnaround can be seen in the way that Sailortown, one of the most run down areas of Belfast, an effective slum of industrial and urban decline, is now attracting the interest of developers. Sailortown on the Northern outskirts of the city of Belfast has plans for hundreds of apartments.
The plans if given the go ahead would see the demolition of local history and some locals are saying enough is enough.
The Rotterdam Bar would go, this building was used in the 19th century to quarter the Irish awaiting transportation to Australia under british law. Mara Developments Ltd has applied to demolish it and neighbouring Pat's bar and construct 58 private apartments above two replacement modern bars. They intend to build a 13 storey apartment block, which would include three penthouses. McVeigh Brown Architectural Partnership the agent said "Neither building is listed and there is an application for a 15 story complex beside it," he said. Mr Brown said the intention was that people who work in the Clarendon Dock area would want to buy near their place of employment and not want to drive to work. The adjacent plan is for a 15 storey complex of 171 apartments and ground floor retail.
Sean Baker, Secretary of the Sailortown Regeneration Group, said that the latest application was all too much. "We have worked hand-in-hand with developers and we want to see regeneration, but enough is enough. There are only four original houses left and three bars." Mr Baker said the community wanted provision for education, health and welfare to be part of the plans for the area, with vacant commercial land used for development, rather than the remaining buildings of old Sailortown being torn down.
There are some plans for social housing in the area, the Clanmil Housing Association is working on a mixed development of 52 apartments and 14 houses on the site of the former Clow's Mill. The mill is next to the last original business on Short Street, Benny's Sandwich Bar and Cafe. Benny's is a family business operated by generations of the same family, staying open even after a british loyalist terrorist car bomb which claimed the lives of two innocent children playing outside. Sadly the cafe will probably close next year and be redeveloped. Benny's with its 70s period decor was used for scenes in the 2005 Neil Jordan film Breakfast on Pluto. Hundreds of visitors fresh off the boat at the port ate there, and local motor cycle legend Joey Dunlop was a regular face. Benny's current owner Brendan Bowman said the changes in the area and the potential rebuild of his premises are bittersweet. "I'll miss it, but you have to move with the times," he said.

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Benny's of Belfast to make way