Construction is advancing on the £3.2 million redevelopment of the Lock Keeper’s house on the River Lagan, with an opening expected by summer 2027.

The Lower Ormeau Residents Action Group (LORAG) is leading the project, which will house a well-being centre, community rooms, and a café. The group aims to reconnect the Lower Ormeau Road community with the river.

The building was previously home to the Murray family and is the only surviving residence along the Lagan that directly faces the water. John Murray, a member of that family, was killed in the Milltown Massacre of March 1988.

The site already includes a community garden and a men’s shed, developed with the Shaftesbury Recreation Centre. A planning application for a canoe store beside the men’s shed is under consideration, intended to support water-based activities for local groups.

LORAG has also taken over operation of the neighbouring St John Vianney youth club, which church authorities could no longer sustain. The youth club’s grounds back onto the Lagan.

According to Gerard Rice of LORAG, the new roof should be in place by October. The Féile na hAbhann festival, beginning on 31 July with a twilight market and continuing on 1 August, will offer the public a first look at the ongoing work. The festival coincides with Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, starting in Belfast on 2 August for the first time.

The fully completed Lock Keeper’s house is set to become the central hub for river activities when it opens in 2027.