Work begins on Ebrington luxury hotel in Londonderry

First Minister Paul Givan and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill came to the city to see the first stages of the ambitious project begin today.

Mr Givan said it was an exciting development which demonstrated the commitment of the Executive Office to the continuing development of Ebrington.

“Since we took ownership of this site a number of years ago we have put £17 million into it and what you are seeing is the private sector investment coming in and we have today cut the first sod of a 152-bed four star hotel that will have spa and leisure facilities which will create new jobs and attract more people to come to this part of the city,” he said.

“It’s an exciting development here in the north west and we are delighted to be here.”

Michelle O’Neill said: “It is absolutely brilliant to be here at the Ebrington site. It’s a fantastic site with so much opportunity and so many jobs being created.

"Today we have dug the first sod on the new hotel which is going to be transformational and enhance all the other businesses that are here on this site.

“It is a combination of private investment and government investment put together and very much delivering for the future of the north west, It is about job creation, about building a stronger economy. I am thrilled to be here to hear the excitement from a lot of the businesses which have invested here.

“There is no doubt that Derry is a great place to work and to invest and to live and we want to see more like this and we will play our part at the Executive Office in assisting with that.”

Ebrington is within Junior Executive Minister Gary Middleton’s Foyle constituency and he said its continuing development remains a priority for him.

“Since I came into politics in 2010 Ebrington has always been at the forefront of my priorities in the Waterside area, recognising that it will benefit the entire city as well,” he said.

“It is a very significant day as we are here for the official launch of the ebrington hotel which has been in planning now for some time. We are also here to open the Amp space.It’s onwards and upwards for the entire area.

“The Maritime Museum on the site is progressing well and the timescales are now being met. The Executive and the Department for the Economy all have roles in ensuring that it is delivered and we are committed to that. It is something we very much look forward to in the very near future.

“It is very significant that the current First Minister and Deputy first Minister are here together for the first time because it’s an opportunity for them to show their commitment to the North West and that everything is delivered on time.”

The hotel development at Ebrington will involve the refurbishment of the Clock Tower and five other buildings in the former military base.

About £7 million for the project is coming from the executive office’s investment fund and almost £2 million from Invest NI.