Belfast City Council has completed the purchase of the historic Assembly Rooms, along with its rear extension and several adjacent properties in the Cathedral Quarter, as part of its ongoing drive to revitalise the city centre.

The Assembly Rooms, located at the junction of North Street and Waring Street, is a Grade B1 listed building dating back to 1769. Once one of Belfast's most prominent public venues, it has been vacant since 2000 but holds a rich historical legacy — including the rejection of plans for a slave trading company in 1786, the Belfast Harp Festival of 1792, and the trial and sentencing of Henry Joy McCracken in 1798.

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The building's international cultural importance was recently recognised by the World Monuments Fund (WMF), which selected the Assembly Rooms for inclusion on the 2025 World Monuments Watch — a global list of 25 heritage sites of exceptional significance facing urgent conservation challenges. The designation aims to raise awareness, attract investment, and support preservation efforts.

Potential future uses for the Assembly Rooms are now being explored and will be brought forward for the Council’s consideration and approval.

As part of the same acquisition, the Council has also purchased several adjacent properties from Castlebrooke Investments, including:

Part of the Donegall Street car park site

5–9 North Street (former Laffin Travel building)

Braddell's Building, 11 North Street (Grade B1 listed)

The Council has also approved supplementary planning guidance for the Cathedral and Northeast Quarter, setting out a heritage-led regeneration strategy for the area. The plan envisions a mix of residential, cultural, and commercial uses, centred around a creative and innovation corridor. A public consultation on the draft guidance is expected to launch later this autumn.