A new apartment development right on the River Lagan and 100 yards from Belfast Central Station is being sold off plans by Hooke & McDonald, with prices from £88,000 stg for the smallest one-bed unit.

There will be 30 one, two and three-bedroom apartments on offer in phase one, out of a total of 68 units, when the scheme is completed in early summer 2000. Wexford-based developer MK Development has previously built Christchurch View in Dublin city centre and St Augustine's scheme, in Blackrock, Co Dublin.

Construction is well advanced and two and three-bedroom show apartments will be on view on the site this Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

St John's Wharf is designed in two six-storey blocks directly overlooking the river. Architect Alan Cook, conscious of the prime waterfront location, has arranged for most apartments to have a river view.

The two blocks are raised to ensure there are no apartments on the ground floor and most units have proper sit-out balconies. Residents will be in one of the most sociable areas of Belfast, a few paces from the Waterfront concert hall, the Hilton hotel and the newly-revamped St George's Market.

Some of the best pubs and restaurants in the city are in the immediate vicinity and the city centre shops are a short walk away. Rental potential is unlimited, given the scheme's prime location. The exterior of St John's Wharf has a "warehouse" look which sits well with the surrounding docklands architecture.

Prices are competitive compared with similar schemes this side of the Border, although the current strong position of sterling should be taken into account.

Good capital appreciation is predicted for most Belfast properties, particularly in the fashionable Laganside area of the city. Each apartment has its own parking space.

One-bedroom apartments of 560 sq ft cost from £88,000 stg, two-bed units of 700 sq ft to 780 sq ft start at £112,000, three-bedroom apartments (including two-storey penthouses) from 950 sq ft to 1,500 sq ft range from £138,000 to £199,000. Four-bedroom units of 1,300 sq ft are priced from £175,000. Standard features include a high specification common area finish, good quality kitchens and wardrobes, en suites in the main bedroom, good-sized balconies and a security system with intercom and electronic entrance gates. There will be a landscaped courtyard and tree-planting along the walks dividing the buildings.