The Mercantile is a proposed nine storey office building comprising ground floor restaurant / leisure space (c.8,000ft2) and eight floors of office accommodation above (c.62,000ft2).

The site was formerly occupied by a six storey building (28,000ft2) designed by Robinson McIlwaine Architects for The General Accident Assurance Corporation. Built between 1984 – 1986 (planning ref: Z/1984/0597). The General Accident Building was placed on the market in January 2016 by Lambert Smith Hampton with offers invited in the region of £3.5m. The building was acquired by Killultagh Estates in June 2016 for an undisclosed sum.

Killultagh Estates and Todd Architects submitted a planning application (LA04/2017/0288/F) in January 2017 proposing to demolish the existing building and develop a 10-storey office building with two basement parking levels and retail use at ground floor. The proposal was later amended to 9-storeys and recommended approval by Belfast Planning Committee in August 2017. The application was approved in April 2019.

B. Small Contracts Ltd demolished the 1980s building during 2019.