Up to 120 new jobs could be created if Affidea, the largest healthcare provider in Europe, wins the bid for the new building on Boucher Road in 2023.
The application for the construction of the private medical facility was overwhelmingly accepted by elected officials at the January 21 Belfast City Council Planning Committee meeting.
At 38 Boucher Road, units 2A and 2B will house the class C3 hospital. Originally a B&Q retail warehouse, the facility was occupied from 1999 until the DIY retail giant ended its lease in 2016.
The Range, a chain store that sells leisure, gardening and home goods, occupies the remaining space in the building. The building will remain occupied by the Range.
There will be "a significant element of overnight residential care," according to the application.
The project entails converting a portion of a retail warehouse into a new use and adding a one-story addition that will sit below the tallest point of the current structure without increasing its height.
It is suggested that new trees be planted in front of the building and where the property borders the major Boucher Road.
Additionally, it is suggested that the fencing at the back of the site be replaced with a "living wall." Norlin EV Limited, located at the Innovation Centre on Queens Road in Belfast, is the applicant. The proposal was recommended for approval by council officers.
The sole statutory consultee to voice opposition to the idea was NI Water. The application was publicised, neighbours were informed, and the council received no objections.