Cork Harbour

[Maskhadov]

Contaminated harbour island is set for an IFSC-style makeover
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1662468&issue_id=14434

IRELAND'S most polluted industrial site, Haulbowline Island in Cork Harbour, is set to be transformed by the second-biggest State development after Dublin's ISFC.

Enterprise Minister Michael Martin revealed yesterday that a special interdepartmental team would mastermind the blueprint of the multimillion-euro development of the former Irish Steel site.

Mr Martin, supported by Finance Minister Brian Cowen and Education Minister Mary Hanafin, confirmed that the project would mirror the showcase of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

"Cork is one of the world's great natural harbours and we want to see its potential exploited," said Mr Martin. "This project will transform Haulbowline and the lower Cork Harbour, making it an attractive place to work, live and do business."

He refused to speculate on the final development cost, although it is expected to run to hundred of millions of euros, given that the clean-up of the toxic pollutants from Haulbowline alone could reach €30m. "This 44-acre site has the potential to be the most attractive waterside site in Europe," said Mr Martin.

"Haulbowline has unique attractions, including the National Maritime College and the UCC Marine Research Centre.

"These and its longstanding marine traditions will form the basis for a complete redevelopment plan," he said.

Among the initiatives being earmarked in the development blueprint are:

* More than 200 luxury apartments.

* A state-of-the-art marina with a clubhouse and competition facilities.

* A world-class, 300-bedroom hotel.

* A maritime museum dedicated to Cork's nautical heritage.

* A landmark office building.

The project got cautious approval in Cork yesterday, although one former Irish Steel employee, former Labour TD for Cork East John Mulvihill, said the plan lacked specifics.

A contract is currently being processed for the demolishing of the derelict Irish Steel buildings and the removal of the worst of the contaminated material.

One Government environmental report has indicated that it could take up to five years to decontaminate and clean up the site - and it could cost over €30m.

The Irish Steel plant was closed in June 2001 with its parent company, Ispat International, claiming that the plant was losing over €1.2m per month. More than 400 workers lost their jobs, with a dozen private firms, suppliers and service contractors either collapsing or having to slash their workforces because of the steel mill's closure.

Mr Mulvihill warned that Cork Harbour was being subjected to "death by a thousand cuts" because of the ongoing controversy over Irish Steel/Irish Ispat and the failure to clean the site.

Following the collapse, Ispat International took a claim for €29m, which it claimed it was owed by its Irish subsidiary.

Ispat International claimed that the money was owed after it was forced to use its cash to prop up the failing subsidiary, which it had purchased for £1 in 1995/96 from the then-Rainbow Coalition.

Irish Ispat owed most to State and semi-State agencies. Workers were owed €7m, of which more than €900,000 was for statutory redundancy payments already taken in hand by the Government.

Ralph Riegel

Great news that they are starting to clean up Cork Harbour. But what are the possibilities with it ?? Are there any new and exciting buildings being planned that push back the frontiers of architecture in Ireland ?

[daniel_7]

anyone hae any idea when these plans should go on show?hope the landmark building is something special and not a big let down!

[Maskhadov]

some nice high rise would be really go down well

[Boyler]

hopefully they'll also consider building a tram while the place is a construction site. it'll save time and money in the long run

[PVC King]

This would make a good site for some decentralisation given the public transport and air connections close by. the real question is whether this is an aspirational idea or a concrete plan to be backed up by real jobs.

[MrX]

How polluted is the site? I assume with metals etc? and how long will it take to clean up and who will foot the bill.

I'm glad that that plant's closed though it was an environmental disaster. The pharmacutical plants etc are soooo much cleaner.

Likewise, I'm glad that IFI's gone...

Hopefully this will see the end of those old-style heavy and polluting industries in the Cork harbour area.

[Angry Rebel]

Likewise, I'm glad that IFI's gone...

What pollution did IFI produce?

[Radioactiveman]

Its good news about Haulbowline. Access to this development will be via the present bridge which runs through Rocky Island- the site currently in line for the first crematorium outside Dublin. I wonder whether the crematorium might now be put on hold by the developers in favour of a more lucrative development in line with the plans for the neighbouring island. Although, you know what they say about crematoria (sp?)- people are dying to get in there!

Elsewhere in the harbour, the battle for Spike Island seems to be escalating. Rumblings from the local opposition parties suggest that, given power in the next election, they would not allow the development of a 'super-prison' on the historic site, with local politicians, business leaders and tourism interests campaigning for an Alcatraz type attraction to be developed there. Certainly, that type of tourism use might be more useful than a prison beside the proposed Haulbowline Hotel, Apartments and Museum.

Go to http://www.spikeisland.info to find out more about the campaign to 'save' Spike and to sign the petition.

[A-ha]

It looks like the Pentagon. I never realised that the building was such an unusual shape. Is there any way the island could be marketed as a tourist spot in the same way Alcatraz is.

[Pug]

Great news that they are starting to clean up Cork Harbour.

the plans all sound brilliant, I will believe it when its done, but does that mean they will have hotels and touristy things next to Dick Roches incinerator?

[A-ha]

There is a piece about the developments there in Saturdays Echo. It shows a few photos of Haulbowline and Rocky Islands. How big is Rocky Island? It looked tiny in the pictures and it looks as if that crematorium will have to be squeezed onto it. The road to Haulbowline takes up most of the island. Has anyone got some more pictures?

[goldiefish]

Last week the last major structure, the furnace hall, of the Irish steel building was knocked.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOmlpNPIf8A

Just lower level sctuctures to be demolished now, I estimate the site will be cleared, and ready for new use by Christmas, assuming there are no complicated underground services to contend with.

[THE_Chris]

Dammit I always miss the good stuff Been waiting 23 years for that shit heap to be demolised, and Im in Galway when they knock it

[Praxiteles]

Dammit I always miss the good stuff Been waiting 23 years for that shit heap to be demolised, and Im in Galway when they knock it

Chris!

As a small consolation, I came across this and thought you might be interested. The status quo ante: WIlliam Bartlett's lithograph of Cove of Cork from c. 1840 showing Haulbowlin with Mrs. Deane's provisioning buildings, Spike, I think, and charming party somewhere above Westbeach:

[THE_Chris]

ooo nice

haha whoever gave planning for that steel works. rofl.

[PTB]

This is great for the harbour, but wont it cause huge traffic problems on the near Ringaskiddy with a huge development on the island? A tram would be great but if it were to go the the city centre it would be of gigantic cost. Twould be great for Ringaskiddy, carragaline, Monkstown, Mahon, Blackrock, all those places but it would be really expensive.

I think someone asked who owned the steel plant and who was responsible for the cleanup. As far as I know a British-Indian steel tycoon called Lakshmi Mittal (now third richest man in the world)bought the plaec in 1999 or so for a pound. The low cost was to encourage someone to take over the plant and turn it from a loss making company to a profitable one and save the jobs. However Mittal bled the place dry, laid off the the workers (without redundancy payment I think) and just left the place to rot. There was toxic dust lying around the place that had to be cleared up so the government asked Mittal to clear it up. Being one of the richest men in the world, he failed to cough up the money to clear up the site which he owned. Despite court cases and such it seems that the government will have to pay the 30 million euro (a conservative estimate) to clean up the site. Despite this Mittal paid over 10O million dollars for a house in Kensington (most expensive house boughtin history), and paid 30 million pounds sterling for his daughters wedding(Most expensive wedding in history). A right tyrant it seems.

[kite]

This is great for the harbour, but wont it cause huge traffic problems on the near Ringaskiddy with a huge development on the island? A tram would be great but if it were to go the the city centre it would be of gigantic cost. Twould be great for Ringaskiddy, carragaline, Monkstown, Mahon, Blackrock, all those places but it would be really expensive.

I think someone asked who owned the steel plant and who was responsible for the cleanup. As far as I know a British-Indian steel tycoon called Lakshmi Mittal (now third richest man in the world)bought the plaec in 1999 or so for a pound. The low cost was to encourage someone to take over the plant and turn it from a loss making company to a profitable one and save the jobs. However Mittal bled the place dry, laid off the the workers (without redundancy payment I think) and just left the place to rot. There was toxic dust lying around the place that had to be cleared up so the government asked Mittal to clear it up. Being one of the richest men in the world, he failed to cough up the money to clear up the site which he owned. Despite court cases and such it seems that the government will have to pay the 30 million euro (a conservative estimate) to clean up the site. Despite this Mittal paid over 10O million dollars for a house in Kensington (most expensive house boughtin history), and paid 30 million pounds sterling for his daughters wedding(Most expensive wedding in history). A right tyrant it seems.

Sounds like a candidate for an Irish Passport for sale to me?:rolleyes:

[MacLeinin]

The story in Cobh is that Irish steel was sold for £1 in order that the buyer would take up the millions pounds debt also. Irish Steel was badly managed, ripped off by many of the workers and realistically hadn't a chance. On top of that it was an eyesore. I watched it come down and it was wonderful finally to see again the stone buildings belonging to the Irish Navy as they once looked.
There is talk of a hotel/marina complex being built on the site which will once again dwarf the naval buildings. I hope it will be in context, but I have my doubts.

[MrX]

I'd be a bit worried about those dust clouds!! Wouldn't they potentially contain a lot of heavy metals and other weird chemicals in the form of soot that had built up in the furnace?

It was an absolutely hideous building though and a terrible source of pollution. I would say the exact same for IFI an utter disgrace of an operation. I remember being in Fota wildlife park and being overcome by an accidental release of amonia while they were filling some tank.

The biotech and pharma industry around the harbour is pretty much squeeky clean in comparison.

What I find even worse about both IFI and Irish Steel is that they were also both semi-state companies for most of their lives and certainly at the time that they were built.

I'm very glad to see the back of Irish steel anyway

[Praxiteles]

Another examle of Cobh Town Council's aesthetic sense: note the flying-saucer like water tower pitched prominently on the hill-crest of Cobh, obviously enhancing the twon's tourist potential:

[kite]

Another examle of Cobh Town Council's aesthetic sense: note the flying-saucer like water tower pitched prominently on the hill-crest of Cobh, obviously enhancing the twon's tourist potential:

So much for ridge protection zones.

[Praxiteles]

Is that what they call it in guff terminology? Really, the whole shibang in Cobh Town Council should be closed down. It serves absolutely NO USEFUL purpose whatever and a bigger crowd of KNOWNOTHINGS you would be hard pressed to find!

[Chuck E R Law]

Is that what they call it in guff terminology? Really, the whole shibang in Cobh Town Council should be closed down. It serves absolutely NO USEFUL purpose whatever and a bigger crowd of KNOWNOTHINGS you would be hard pressed to find!

Powerful stuff, Mr. Prax! Dere a right crowd of Vainquers in de Council! Imagine tinking that it was dere job to provide water for de people. What will dey tink of next! Shoor de place is destroyed entirely. But at least we have kept our faith! Shoor you'll have a point. Wattle ye have. A pint of spleen? Givus two pints of spleen.

[Praxiteles]

No Chuck, we shall have the Chasse Spleen, please!!!

[Praxiteles]

Powerful stuff, Mr. Prax! Dere a right crowd of Vainquers in de Council! Imagine tinking that it was dere job to provide water for de people. What will dey tink of next! Shoor de place is destroyed entirely. But at least we have kept our faith! Shoor you'll have a point. Wattle ye have. A pint of spleen? Givus two pints of spleen.

Actually, that is not a bad attempt at an interlinguistic pun at all. But the council in Cobh are the Vaincus -however you might wish to read that!!