Alliance Lisburn and Castlereagh City Councillors Sharon Lowry and Martin Gregg said they were "delighted" to see the project going ahead.
In April 2021, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) approved planning permission for the redevelopment of DIIB and the project received a £12.2 million funding boost in October 2021 from the Levelling Up Fund.
Cllr Lowry said: "I am delighted to see this flagship project going ahead. Having served as Chair of the Capital Projects Committee for the past 2 years, I have seen the huge amount of work and effort by the Council to get us to this point. The Ice Bowl is part of the fabric locally but the benefits of the redevelopment will be far-reaching, and this investment in the area stands to promote tourism, economic activity, job creation and employment in the local area, providing invaluable facilities for both locals and visitors from across Northern Ireland. We’re very much looking forward to seeing work get started on delivering them, enhanced like we’ve never seen them before."
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Cllr Gregg said: "This is one of the biggest projects the Council has ever undertaken and will see the transformation of the Ice Bowl into a top-class visitor attraction with state-of-the-art facilities, including an Olympic-sized ice rink which is expected to serve as a training ground for our very own Belfast Giants. Alliance has consistently championed the project, and we’re beyond pleased to see it get the final green light."
Alliance Leader and East Belfast MLA Naomi Long added: "This is such a welcome and significant step forward for Dundonald and East Belfast, and I’m greatly pleased to see progress made in securing the redevelopment of the DIIB, especially after such a long and winding process to get to this point. The Ice Bowl is a fondly-regarded local institution, catering to those of all ages and interests, and both residents and visitors alike deserve the very best facilities possible. I’ll be eagerly awaiting updates on the redevelopment work as it gets underway hopefully in the near future."
