'1000 jobs' in Ballymena church scheme

Published Thursday, 27 November 2014

The Gateway project is planned for 97-acres in Ballymena, Co Antrim. (Gateway Project)

Green Pastures Church is one of five partners involved in the Gateway project, alongside the Wright Group, Gateway Social Investments, Compassion Ministries, and Connect Ministries.

The development, adjacent to the Seven Towers roundabout, will feature a new church for Green Pastures, social housing and retail outlets.

At a launch event on Thursday, the plans were described as "ground-breaking" and with the potential to have a major impact on the local economy.

Project board member Trevor Dunlop said the site would support the NI Executive in delivering key government commitments and contribute to economic development in the Ballymena borough.

He added that it would "permit the development of a new headquarters for the Wright Group".

According to those behind the project, the Gateway has been built on a sustainable public-private partnership model and will be 100% sustainable in commercial, social and economic terms.

It is understood that 250 full-time jobs will be created during the construction phase and 2.8m will be injected into the Ballymena economy.

The group says the project will have the potential to support over 1,000 jobs and annually contribute 40m to the local economy while also providing 485 care places.

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'1000 jobs' in Ballymena church scheme