An announcement on new tenants for the empty space left by Debenhams in Belfast's CastleCourt Shopping Centre is a matter of days away.
Earlier this year it was revealed the empty retail unit, which faces onto Royal Avenue in the city centre, is set to become a destination leisure scheme.
It is understood the owners of CastleCourt have submitted detailed plans for the empty Debenhams unit, which includes a coffee shop and retail units on the ground floor, cinema and family entertainment on the first floor with a bar and outdoor terrace on the second floor.
It has been reported that Omniplex have incorporated a firm called Omniplex (Castlecourt) as plans are in motion for the empty retail space.
Debenhams shut up shop on the site in May after decades as the flagship tenant.
When approached by Belfast Live about the plans for the Debenhams space, a spokesman said: "CastleCourt cannot comment on any potential tenancies until all negotiations are completed. We expect to make an announcement in the coming days."
Over the summer, bosses at CastleCourt said they were close to completing an agreement with two high-profile tenants to take over the space left by Debenhams.
It was said both tenants were independent of each other and would offer a 80,000 sq. ft. destination leisure scheme.
Proposals for the space were set out in a series of posters at the shopping centre.
A public consultation on the plans was carried out over summer, and closed on August 30.
Proposals for the site included:
- Crazy golf
- Lazer quest
- Indoor caving
- Escape Rooms
- Bumper cars
- a Virtual reality arcade
- Restaurants and bars
- A coffee shop with external seating
- Cinema with a bar
- And a seated terrace area
In a proposal pack, those behind the project said: "Retail is no longer the driving factor bringing visitors into our city centres and high streets, and instead trends have shifted for younger generations to spend their money on experiences rather than goods.
"We aim to deliver a family entertainment and leisure space that seeks to go some way to regenerating this section of Royal Avenue and diversifying the current retail/food offering within CastleCourt."
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