Part of the delay in the scheme is understood to concern the use of Writer's Square, a public space opposite St Anne's Cathedral.
"The idea that an entire 12-acre scheme is dependent on that square, which is not massive, I'm not buying it", she said. SDLP councillor Carl Whyte, who is deputy chair of the council's planning committee, said the slow progress is "not all the fault of Castlebrooke" and there had been "institutional failure", including a lack of coordination between the council and Stormont departments.
At the time planning permission was granted, analysis conducted by the council concluded that "it is highly likely that Belfast will continue to need additional provision of office space to meet demand".The development was supposed to regenerate more than 10 acres close to St Anne's Cathedral