Re: Eglinton Street

After pressing a prominent CCC member last night, I managed to juice out a comment regarding O’Flynn Construction’s Eglinton Street development. He implied that talks between the developers and Planners and the City Manager’s office had been ‘positive’. But just to make sure, someone closely attached to the project, this morning informed me also, that the meetings held between CCC and OFC had been ‘constructive’. Wilson Architecture (design team behind the project – Chief Architect being Frank O’Mahony, the firm’s MD) are in conjunction with the developers and in consultation with CCC in addressing a number of ‘deadlocking’ issues. These issues concern in the most part the parking space to unit/residence ratio, sunlighting and glazing effects with consideration to the tower element and potential hazards on approaching traffic – among others. A report is due into Navigation House in the coming days re: the latter issue. Parking space numbers at the development are likely to be dropped, but to a renegotiated ratio with which OFC say they can work with.

I assume the unconfirmed, but possible, sale of the Doyle Family Cork Warehousing Co. site on Albert Quay to OFC (if sold to them), may offer a potential solution in rectifying parking numbers come the strategic run – but this cannot be considered at this stage until any sale is announced publicly. However, there are 2 other likely buyers which await confirmation – one of which is stated to be Howard Holdings (if so, this would give them dominance of the waterfront along this stretch of both Albert Quay and Lapps Quay).

It’s all pie-in-the-sky right now – but could be considered a very cautious source of optimism for this outstanding development opportunity in Cork.