HBO firms want to set up a base at Ebrington site

Seventy-seven creative industrial and tech firms - some have worked with the cable network responsible for such hit TV series’ as Boardwalk Empire, Generation Kill, Band of Brothers and The Pacific - are “very interested” in locating at the landmark Londonderry regeneration site, said ILEX boss Aideen McGinley.

Equally, the major new 15,000 capacity outdoor perfromance venue at the former barracks will be the biggest “muckless” outdoor space on the island, she advised.

Providing evidence on the regeneration firm’s progress in the city to date the ILEX Chief Executive also revealed that over half the £23m capital budget allocated towards the Ebrington Barracks site would be spent in 2014 - one year after UK City of Culture 2013.

Briefing the OFMDFM Committee meeting at Stormont she said: “I turn to the site that I know is of most interest to members, the Ebrington site.

“As the First Minister and deputy First Minister said, we are grateful that, in a time of a very constrained capital budget, we got £23 million over four years.

“The key challenge for us will be the managing of the profile because, unfortunately, over half of the allocation is for 2014, which is the year after the City of Culture year.

“As many of you are aware and, indeed, as featured in the previous evidence session, the emphasis of the Ebrington site is cultural and based on the creative industries.”

Ms McGinley reiterated the proposal to develop a £20m regional art gallery - a potential venue for the Turner Prize in 2013, which will be held in Londonderry.

She also revealed ILEX hopes to hold a major international architecture competition with the Royal Institute in 2013.

Existing plans such as the £8.5m maritime museum and the intention to create four new performance spaces including a major performance space - capacity 15,000 and the largest hard surface, purpose-built outdoor performing venue in Ireland - were also outlined to the committee members.

It also emerged that up to 77 digital and creative industrial firms are interested in locating at the landmark site.

She told the Committee: “We are also working with Derry Chamber of Commerce and Derry City Council on the Digital Derry strategy, with a view to looking at creating a co-working space for creative industries.

“Similarly, a number of companies in Derry/Londonderry are already working closely with HBO. The spin-off is regional, so companies are producing for HBO. “Indeed, we have identified up to 77 companies that are very interested in co-locating space, which will be at buildings to the rear of the main courtyard. In other words, there is a lot of interest.”