by Richard Buckley, Editor, Business Eye

Leading property developers, Barnett Developments, has sold more than £5.55million of properties upon release of its second phase of their new £17million ‘Portland 88’ apartment development on Belfast’s Ormeau Road.


Featuring 88 ‘smart’ turnkey apartments over 7 storeys, the development will consist of 10 one-bedroom apartments, 74 two-bedroom apartments and four three-bedroom luxury apartments, ‘Portland 88’ will cater for the next generation of discerning city centre home-owner.

Thought to be a first-of-its-kind on the island of Ireland, each apartment will have the option of a cutting-edge  ’Smart Home Intelligence System’ featuring options to control heating and lighting, and other appliance, all from a residents smartphone. The home comes with options to integrate controls with the Fibaro® Home Intelligence System, BringMe® smart mail and package deliver box, and every home comes with an Amazon Echo® with their Alexa® virtual personal assistant.

All properties include high-spec luxury fittings, with 51 on-site car parking spaces and 20 communal berths for cyclists. The apartments are a short stroll of less than 15 minutes to City Hall, with easy access to all main arterial routes adjacent to the Financial Quarter, Ormeau Park, Botanic and Queen’s University.

The development, which commenced build in April 2017, is creating hundreds of jobs and is scheduled for completion by December 2018. Building work is being carried out by local firms, Graham Construction and designed by Gregory Architects, sold by Colliers, Belfast.

Barnett Developments CEO, Nick Barnett, said the success of the sales so early in the release of the first two phases is a huge show of a return confidence and demand in the city centre residential market. 

“Belfast is on the cusp of a returning confidence and demand for city centre living like many of our UK and European neighbours.

“Portland 88 offers the next generation of living with our ‘smart’ home intelligence system and prime location.

“As property developers, we recognise that in order for cities to thrive, they need people living in the heart of them which is why we chose this prime site opposite the Gas Works in the City –within walking distance to all districts as well as being close to motorways and airports.

“By bringing people back into the city to live we are not only mirroring Belfast City Council and Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce’s agenda to have more people living in Belfast by 2035, but we are generating more life here which will attract further development and provide a spring-board for more growth for Belfast and the rest of Northern Ireland.

Nick concluded: “To-date, our purchasers have been a mix of young professionals, couples who work in the city and people relocating to Belfast for work and indeed investors who see the opportunity for the purchasing the properties through buy-to-let for the thriving rental market – – all with one common interest – to live in a prime location, with the absolute latest in all modern living facilities from smart technology to appliances. 

“There has been very strong interest in the remaining properties in this phase which include a one-bedroom property at £165K and nine two-bedroom apartments ranging from £189k to £219k. The remaining development is expected to be completed by late 2018.”

“We look forward to our open evening on Thursday 21 June which will allow interested parties to view the properties with a Virtual Reality headset on to give them the sense of scale and absolute luxury that this development offers. We invite anyone who is interested in living in Portland 88 to come along.”

For further information visit https://www.portland88.com/specification/ or to secure your place at the open evening contact contact Colliers NI on 028 9024 4000 or email info@colliersni.com for more information..

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