A new EU-funded shared community space has been announced to coincide with the International Day of Peace.
The Black Mountain Shared Space project will be delivered by Belfast City Council after funding from the EU's PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match-funding will be provided by the Department for Communities and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland.
The new building will deliver cross community facilities, joint programming and outreach, with the aim of removing physical barriers in the area. It will be operated by Black Mountain Shared Space, an organisation which has been in operation since 2010.
Welcoming the project, which also received support through Belfast City Council's Belfast Investment Fund, Lord Mayor, Alderman Frank McCoubrey, said: "I am delighted to mark International Day of Peace by announcing details of this brilliant new facility which will remove barriers and help create connections between communities in the Ballygomartin and Springfield areas of the city.
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"When it opens in 2023, the new facility will deliver a mix of uses including community programming, sports, offices, meeting and informal gathering spaces for communities to mix and spend time together in an attractive, welcoming and neutral shared space.
"The Belfast Agenda, the city's long-term community plan, includes aspirations to develop our neighbourhoods, improve community relations and create a welcoming, safe, fair and inclusive city for all. This project will certainly make a significant contribution to those aims."
Paul Millar, Chairman of Black Mountain Shared Space, said: "This new purpose-built building represents a new chapter for our organisation and it will be an invaluable asset for people in the surrounding communities.
"When we were established in 2010, our primary objective was to improve community relations by working with people on the ground to build relationships, break down barriers and build capacity within the community. This new shared space will allow us to grow and deliver much more through a range of cross-community outreach, education and other community projects."
Minister for Communities, Carál Ní Chuilín, said: "Located at the foot of the Black Mountain this project will result in the transformation of a previously vacant site into a state of the art shared space facility for the whole community. It will be a great asset as a hub for community development to help build relationships and contribute to the health and wellbeing of the users.
"The Black Mountain Shared Space Project exemplifies what can be achieved through partnership and vision and my Department is delighted to invest in a project that will promote sustainable and meaningful engagement across all communities."
