Reply To: Look at de state of Cork, like!
Horgan’s Quay represents not only one of the biggest investment and development opportunities in Cork, but the entire country. Though ‘sketch’ plans have been drawn up by an investment company consisting of Treasury Holdings, Manor Park Homes, CIE and with input from CCC and various local developers – I agree that CIE have been the predominant culprit in holding back on this development. Sketch plans have proposed offices, commercial/retail quarter, a new grand plaza utilizing the river, boardwalks, new railway station development (drawings of which can be seen in the Cork Development Plan 2004 – 2009), a large new underground and multistorey parking facility to cater for public and private uses, a new 6000 seat convention centre, up to 5000 residential units, up to 5 high-rise office, residential and commercial buildings of ‘world-class’ proportions and quality reaching up to 20 – 25 storeys each. The potential is overwhelming, and could provide a substantial strategic income for the semi-state body over the next 25 years easily. Much of the company’s reluctance comes in the form of pure lack of foresight and real management strategy. CIE will be the lesser for not getting it’s act together.
However, in fairness to Cork City Manager Joe Gavin, he has vehemently campaigned to get the CIE site at Horgan’s Quay/Railway Street up and running as a large-scale convention centre. This was reported in one of these posts a few weeks back. Mr. Gavin has already received a number of interested party proposals and it is his intention to push through with the project to have it up and running within 2 years pending the decision deadline given to O’Callaghan Properties regarding their proposed convention centre at Mahon Point.
Also, it is true that Cork Airport are expected to make a major announcement today regarding a number of new routes, one of which is expected to be a new transatlantic route by a scheduled carrier, another relates to the expansion of services by a low-cost carrier at the airport, and another relating to a number of new European routes. It will be interesting to see which carriers and routes are announced. Cork Airport management have suggested that the announcement will be among the biggest made since confirmation of the new 140m euro terminal.
