AN ARCHITECT firm has been appointed for the £9.5m redevelopment and expansion of Coláiste Feirste in West Belfast.
The project will "explore the transformation" of the former Corpus Christi College campus on Ard Na Va Road in Beechmount. It is understood that plans are at an early stage.
Corpus Christi College closed in 2019 following amalgamation with St Rose's High School and Christian Brothers School to form All Saints College.
The site, owned by the Diocese of Down and Connor, has been vacant for a number of years and has been plagued by persistent anti-social behaviour and vandalism in recent years.
Coláiste Feirste – which has over nine hundred pupils – has been campaigning for new facilities for several years as the school has now outgrown its current site, which is also in Beechmount. Plans to open a campus in North Belfast for the school were shelved several years ago.
Collins Rolston has been appointed as the Lead Consultant for the school's expansion into the nearby Corpus Christi site.
In a statement on their website, Collins Rolston said: "We have been appointed as Lead Consultant for the £9.5m redevelopment and expansion of Coláiste Feirste College in Belfast.
"The project will explore the transformation of the existing Corpus Christi College campus on Ard Na Va Road, helping support the continued growth of Irish-medium education in Northern Ireland.
The former Corpus Christi site in Beechmount
"Working under the Pan Government Collaborative Integrated Consultant Team Framework Agreement 2023, managed by Construction & Procurement Delivery (CPD) and the Department of Finance Northern Ireland, Collins Rolston will lead the multidisciplinary team across all RIBA stages.
"The redevelopment will consider a range of options, from refurbishment and remodelling through to potential new-build solutions, with a focus on delivering modern, inclusive and sustainable learning environments for pupils and staff.
"We look forward to working alongside the Department of Education, Coláiste Feirste College Trustees, CPD and the wider consultant team on this important education project for Belfast."
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: “The Department is currently exploring options to provide additional accommodation for Coláiste Feirste, including the potential use of the Corpus Christi site. This work is at an early feasibility stage, and it is therefore not possible to confirm any plans for the site at this time, including any potential acquisition.”
