On 28 August 2018, during a £30 million two-year renovation,[3] the building was gutted by fire, severely damaging most of the internal structure.

[2] The bank closed in 1798 and the building was converted to residential use, becoming the residence of the Church of Ireland bishop of Down and Connor, Rev.

[10] Founded by businessmen William Robertson and Henry Hawkins (Waterford), J. C. Ledlie (Cork), and Robert Ferguson (Belfast), the business soon expanded and became a commercial department store.

In September 2018, a specialist team from London based firm Keltbray was called in to manage and undertake to extremely difficult job of making safe and demolition of part of the structure.

[15] In October 2018, Primark sent an application for planning permission to Belfast City Council, in order to completely restore the building to its original 1900 appearance.

[16] Permission was granted on 26 October 2018, with the initial stages aimed at reducing the safety cordon due to commence "immediately".

On 3 December 2018, the area around Bank Buildings was reopened to pedestrians, with concrete-filled shipping containers being used to support the fragile façades, and to protect the public from any potential collapse.

[6][7][8] Representatives from the store attended the first ever meeting of the Northern Amateur Football League at Clarence Place Hall on 4 July 1923.

Although they originally submitted a team for the new league, Bank Buildings Football Club never played a competitive match.