CUSP is Northern Ireland’s leading urban regeneration specialist and property development Company. Established in 1982 CUSP is owned and managed by the Jennings family who are also well known in Ulster business circles and highly regarded in the international services sector.

CUSP’s focus is on major retail, residential and commercial projects and is particularly active in inner city and postindustrial areas. The Company’s track record in regenerating challenging Brownfield sites is well-known and success stories such as the Clarendon Dock Business Park and Halifax Call Centre on the former Gasworks site are testament to CUSP’ tenacity and talent in this sector. Philip Weir, CUSP’s Project Director, has the day-to-day responsibility of turning the Company’s vision into reality.

“CUSP, under Chairman Shamus Jennings and Chief Executive Brian Henning, will see opportunities where other developers might see only potential problems. The Gasworks is a good example of where a derelict and contaminated site was developed into a successful enterprise through hard work in partnership with many stakeholders. The signature building of this project, the 20,000sq ft Halifax Call Centre, is the largest and most sophisticated call centre of its type in Europe housing over 1,500 employees.”

The Halifax building along with a number of other CUSP developed business units on the site have earned the Gasworks the British Urban Regeneration Association Award for Best Practice and RICS Award for Excellence in the Built Environment - Regeneration Award 2005. CUSP has recently submitted a planning application for a 130,000sq ft office development, providing fully fitted turnkey accommodation over eight stories. Reflecting CUSP’s trademark quality architecture, Blackstaff Point will complement the dramatic Halifax Call Centre and will complete the Gasworks Regeneration Project.

“Our work both at the Gasworks and Clarendon Dock has been made all the more successful by the unique partnerships created before and during the developments with key stakeholders such as Invest Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council and Laganside Development Corporation. Those relationships will continue to play a important and valuable role as we embark on one of our most exciting projects to date. In December 2005 planning permission was granted for a £60M mixed-use scheme located beside St Anne’s Cathedral, one of the City’s most visited tourist attractions,” explains Philip Weir.

Along with joint venture partner the Kennedy Group and in conjunction with Laganside Development Corporation, CUSP will begin work later this summer regenerating this most historically significant city centre site. Weir continues, “St Anne’s Square is an imaginative project which will not only reflect the unique Cathedral environment and its distinctive architecture but will answer the social and economic needs of the area and act as a catalyst for ongoing local regeneration. The plans have been carefully refined in consultation with the Environment and heritage Department and a Planning Service appointed conservation architect.”

The mixed-use scheme will comprise: 132 residential apartments of various sizes; a 150-bedroom Ramada Encore three-star hotel; 41,000sq ft ground floor retail space; 22,000sq ft first floor office space; a 573 space multi-storey car park; and a new public piazza. “Once the detailed planning process is finished we would hope to begin piling in June, opening the retail element in late 2007 and the residential areas the following year.” Retail is playing an increasingly significant role in CUSP’s portfolio. Having enjoyed success with the 180,000sq ft Diamond Shopping Centre in Coleraine and the niche shopping and residential development in Lisburn Square, CUSP took a giant leap forward in May 2004 with the opening of Junction One, Northern Ireland’s first international outlet shopping centre. The project took eight years to come to fruition and represented an original investment of £100M for CUSP and its joint venture partners the Kennedy Group, the Guinea Group and Dunalastair (Ireland).

Since its opening Junction One has been fully let and attracted over 3.5 million visitors in its first 18 months winning the title ‘Northern Ireland Commercial Development of the year’ in the 2004 Irish Property Awards.

Set in landscaped surroundings outside Antrim, Junction One creates the ambience of a pedestrianised shopping street and houses 58 high quality fashion, homeware, entertainment and catering outlets. Development of Phase II of the factory outlet centre is now in progress and when complete later this year will bring the total retail area to 305,00sq ft.

“Junction One hit the ground running on opening day and the momentum has been sustained ever since. Traders are achieving record sales including international brand name Nike who recently opened a 9,000sq ft unit which has already become its fourth best performing outlet store in the UK. “Whilst outlet shopping is the ‘anchor tenant’ at Junction One this is only part of the entire site which represents over 100 acres. Work is at various stages throughout the site to create a premier retail and leisure destination effectively regenerating acres of previously vacant industrial land.

“Planning permission was granted in January 2006 for a 155-bedroom hotel and it is hoped that in the nest couple of months we will also be given light for a six screen cinema and themed golf facility. Outline planning has already been approved for 10,000sq ft of restaurant space. A further 80,000sq ft has been designated as a business park targeted at owner-occupier units.

“September 2006 will see the opening of Brewers Fayre Pub/Restaurant and the Red Panda Chinese Restaurant. A month later a 35,000sq ft Homebase and garden centre will open adjacent to the already trading Lidl supermarket. Over 50,000sq ft is also earmarked for a major superstore. In total 850,000sq ft of commercial space will have been created once the site is fully developed,” says Philip Weir. Whilst CUSP has already begun expanding its business with interests in New Bond Street, London and the redevelopment of K Village in the English Lake district, the Company is firmly committed to its role in Northern Ireland. “CUSP is a Company here for the long term. The partnerships we have formed and the developments we have created are very important to us and we are very proud of our reputation as a professional Company highly regarded for our quality approach and integrity,” concludes Philip Weir.

It is no surprise that CUSP has been named Northern Ireland Developer of the year in the Irish Property Awards in two consecutive years. The hat-trick is surely not far off.