A planning application was submitted by Mandeville Developments NI Ltd in 2022 (Ref: LA04/2022/1284/F) for a 795-unit Purpose Built Managed Student Accommodation (PBMSA) scheme on the site.

The proposal was refused by Belfast City Council in 2023, primarily due to concerns relating to excessive scale, height, and massing.

Following an appeal, planning permission was granted in 2025.

The approved scheme was based on a perimeter block layout, enclosing a central private courtyard.

Building heights ranged from 7 storeys adjacent to The Watson, increasing to 9 storeys, and stepping up to 11 storeys at the junction of Stephen Street and Little Donegall Street.

Images from the previous planning permission