The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tracy Kelly, has officially opened the new £1.5 million Sandy Row Arts & Digital Hub in South Belfast. The project has successfully transformed a previously derelict building into a high-spec multi-use facility, funded through a joint partnership between Belfast City Council and the Executive Office's Urban Villages Initiative.

Operated by Belfast South Community Resources, the building's layout has been designed to provide specialised infrastructure for both the creative and digital sectors:

• Ground Floor: Features a dedicated art studio. Managed by Flax Art Studios, this space will host Northern Ireland's first community-based artist-in-residence to deliver programming for local schools and groups.

• First Floor: Contains a new digital training suite equipped for IT examinations, testing, and community digital support.

• Top Floor: Provides residential space for the artist-in-residence.

The completion of the hub is viewed as a major milestone in the ongoing regeneration of the Sandy Row area. Lord Mayor Councillor Tracy Kelly noted that the council has worked closely with the community to deliver this project alongside other recent investments, such as the £250,000 Sandy Row Revitalisation Scheme.

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Speaking at the opening, Councillor Kelly said: "I'm delighted to help officially open this fantastic new hub in the heart of south Belfast which will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the community, while also helping to bring people from further afield to the area. Belfast City Council has been working very closely with the local community to plan and deliver this and several other projects, which we hope will act as a catalyst for further regeneration in the area following a few challenging years.

"This week has been a very positive week for Sandy Row, with work also getting underway on Coffee Culture, a £1.2 million project which will transform another vacant building into a new café and barista training centre. The project, which is funded by the Belfast City Council, Urban Villages and the Department for Communities, aims to create job opportunities for the community while also providing a pool of skilled workers for the city's hospitality sector."

Nikki Johnston from Belfast South Community Resources added: "The Arts & Digital Hub is a major step forward for Sandy Row, representing a significant investment in local people and transforming a vacant site into a vibrant centre for creativity, digital learning and opportunity. Through our partnership with Flax Art Studios and the expansion of our community-run Examination and Digital Centre social enterprise, the Hub will support qualifications, skills and confidence while reinvesting in local programmes and ensuring the area is not left behind as Belfast advances its wider innovation and digital ambitions."

The area is set for further civil and landscaping works later this year, including the Sandy Row Open Space Project at Blythefield Park and accessibility upgrades at the Bentham Drive play park.