Work has commenced on the redevelopment of the landmark Town Dock House at Warrenpoint Port, the flagship project in the harbour’s £4 million capital investment programme.
The building, which fronts onto Warrenpoint Town Square, will be returned to its former use as the main harbour office, re-establishing a direct interface between the port and the town centre.
Clare Guinness, CEO, Warrenpoint Port, said:
“As a key local employer, Warrenpoint Port has long-established historic links with our town and the surrounding area.
“The redevelopment of Town Dock House, an iconic building at the heart of our town centre, will build on those links and provide a major regeneration boost that we can all enjoy.
“The relocation of the administrative offices is just the first phase of our plans for the Town Dock, however. We also look forward to progressing plans to open up the dock to the public by creating new openings in the wall and railings to allow access from the Town Square to the water’s edge at the marina.”
The Town Dock House works will include a complete refurbishment of the existing building and an extension which will provide additional office space and board room facilities.
Eamon Larkin, Director of Newry-based architecture Milligan Reside Larkin which designed the scheme, added:
“Our team worked with Warrenpoint Port to sensitively design an extension to the former office building without impinging on the status of the existing building.
“It is an exciting project to be involved in as it will add to the vitality of Warrenpoint Town centre and complement other recent developments in the area.”
The project is part of a £4m capital investment programme that also includes the reconfiguration of internal port infrastructure, a new road layout, and additional plant and equipment.
Clare added:
“Demand for our services is growing year-on-year. By continuing to invest in our facilities, we can ensure the Port is best placed to capitalise on that growing demand for the benefit of port users, our customers, our community and the wider economy.”
Building work on Town Dock House will be carried out by locally-based firm Killowen Contracts and is expected to take six months to complete.
ENDS
For more information please contact Simon Cunningham, Lighthouse Communications, on 07731824431 or simon@lighthouseni.com
Notes to editors
About Warrenpoint Port
- Warrenpoint Port is the second largest port in Northern Ireland and the fifth biggest on the island of Ireland.
- Warrenpoint Harbour Authority was created as a Trust Port by legislation in 1971.
- In 2018, the value of goods moving through Warrenpoint Port was £6.5 billion. The Port handled 3.56 million tonnes in 2017, increasing to 3.6m in 2018.
- The port employs 70 staff directly, but more than 200 people work at the harbour every day.
- In addition to serving the markets in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, the Port deals with imports and exports from countries and regions across the world including to Spain, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Ukraine and the Americas.