W5, Odyssey Cinemas and Odyssey Bowl will all remain open with new temporary access points as a partial closure of Odyssey, Belfast begins on Monday 6th January to allow for a £17m redevelopment project which will transform it into the number one leisure destination for families in Northern Ireland.
Matagorda 2, working alongside Odyssey Trust Company, started construction work at the end of October. Work is scheduled to last for 17 months with an anticipated completion date in late Spring 2021. Deutsche Bank is Matagorda 2’s funding partner.
The UK’s largest cinema operator, Cineworld, and the UK’s largest bowl operator, Hollywood Bowl, are the first anchor tenants to confirm their position at Odyssey, Belfast when it reopens following redevelopment.
The existing mezzanine level in Odyssey will be removed and rebuilt to accommodate new restaurants and bars along with an enhanced entrance to the SSE Arena, Belfast.
The bowling centre will close late in 2020 to allow for a 20 lane refit and it will return with a new operator. The cinema will undergo a rolling fit out with minimal disruption to visitors. W5’s previously announced £4.5m investment is underway, with the reimagined W5 launching 6th June 2020.
The build contract has been awarded to Ballymena firm Martin & Hamilton and more than 80 construction jobs will be created during the project. The work is being project managed by real estate consultants Hollis.
Guy Hollis, consultant for Matagorda 2, said: “We are excited to be moving forward with our redevelopment plans for Odyssey in a way which will cause minimal disruption to visitors still hoping to enjoy W5, the cinema and bowling. Our reconfiguration of the site will bring Odyssey in line with some of the best one site leisure destinations in the world. We are pleased that when we revealed our plans that they were met with really positive feedback and we know that these changes will bring welcome additions to the entertainment options in Belfast.”
Eric Porter, chair of The Odyssey Trust Company, said:
“This is the end of an era and the start of a new chapter for Odyssey and we are pleased to be working alongside Matagorda 2 as they deliver this project. We have put in place new directional signage so that visitors will easily be able to find the temporary entrances.
“This project is perfectly timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the businesses. The wider Odyssey redevelopment will take place alongside the exciting plans which we have already revealed for W5.”
