developments in cork
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🙂 Well with Frinailla’s Ladyswell (City Square) project now having seen it’s ABP decision due date pushed back until October 13th 2005 (as best I know) – the suburb of Blackpool and the developers themselves will have to spend another few weeks on their seat edges.
Frinailla originally applied for development on the Watercourse Road site back in 2003 – then, the proposal peaked at 9-storeys over basement parking with approx. 258 residential units, numerous commercial units (= 3379m sq), a Montessori School, resident gym, roof gardens etc. On Thursday 18th December 2003, the 3 seperate applications that comprised the overall project were all refused by CCC, even following revised submissions which involved residential unit and height reductions – subsequently an appeal to ABP was also refused. Scale, height, character, visual obtrusiveness and so on, were all among the reasons cited for refusal.
On the 19th November 2004, Frinailla reapplied with 2 applications for their Watercourse Road/Ladyswell sites. This time, the proposal centred about a 5-storey (peak) linked development over basement car-parking and community/commercial units. 153 residencies were proposed in this new scheme. Although the planner’s report recommended a further refusal, this decision was overturned – even though the planner, under instruction to outline conditions, imposed a further reduction in height and subsequent units. The conditions were appealed, and so was the project on a 3rd party basis, a move backed by a number of individuals including public representative Kathleen Lynch.
In my own opinion, the project represents an important step in Blackpool’s revitalisation – this area of Blackpool, along the Watercourse Road is in dire need of a revamp and is plagued by ill-maintained, derelict buildings. The Frinailla proposal seeks to breathe new life into the area with a strong community focus. Should the appeal be favoured, it is my understanding the developers intend to begin construction work on City Square almost immediately. Fingers crossed on the outcome – and I’ll do my best to keep you updated on any further developments regarding this project. Below find some images of the scheme – more available on request (if I can).
(Forgive me if I’ve left out any details but trying to explain each and every twist and turn would take forever and a very very long post!) 😉
hmmmmuh very inktresting!
i’ve no doubt the ladyswell plan will add to the place. i always tawt were it not for the nice like canopy additions and variations in colouring and finishes the design could have been quite boring and boxy, however never saw the recreational space graphics before and i have to say it looks very well, like the little water feature. what will be a telling sign will be if frinailla actually show real ingenuity and cover the repaving of the roadway and pathways a la the 1st 2 pics above. i think it will help their scheme on a whole, make the corporation smile and shut the mouths of a few critics in the area while their at it. look forward to seeing if the presentation pics match the flesh in that sense. the watercourse road could do with a little imagination and input, hope frinailla seize the opportunity. still, good job lads.
anyone got pics of how that stretch of road is now? would be a really interesting comprative and highlight just how much the ladyswell blocks would add.
The Blackpool project seems suitable for the area. I am originally from near Assumption Road and I have fond memories of the place. It has been depressing to see the decay that has been onset along the Watercourse rd over the years. The whole suburb seems to have changed and when i return to visit I often fail to recognise much of it. I am glad however that the old centre of Blackpool has been carefull timecapusled, but not in a negative sense. Its a credit to those involved in the suburbs regeneration have allowed the place develop on such a large scale but without injuring or intruding on the old areas. I also love what theyve done on the old Blackpool flats, I think RESPONSE! were behind this with the corporation and murnane and O’Shea builders. The flats have been wonderfuully redeveloped for new elderly housing and social uses. Well done to all involved!
Though i like the Blackpool plans, I hope the developers who i understand will be seeking to develop Dennehys Cross will offer the area a very considerate approach. The housing in the area must be respected. I have no problem with a redevelopment of the sites involved, frankly i think the existing warehousing and worksheds and showrooms are an eyesore but i would ask the developers to offer a decent fitting design. I dont oppose their 7 floors plan near Top car, the height is clearly a product of trends in the area and that is fine along this routeway but anything over 4 or 5 floors fronting Dennehys cross in my opinion would represent a gross overdevelopment. I await the plans anxiously,.
agreed the redeveloped flats are a job well done. its hard to think that the were once modelled on a stack of shoe boxes! 🙂 seriously word is the original blackpool flats were designed by a member of the store-room staff at a shoe shop. hehe. the new facility is a real excellent redevelopment. anyone got pics?
Thanks to phil for informing me of this very interesting article on Cork2005, but more specifically, The Lewis Glucksman Gallery at UCC.
@ewankennedy wrote:
Any news on the Ford site?? Has it been sold?
Bids are on-going. One bidder was rumoured to have been attached to another prominent docklands premises not so long ago – however that report is unconfirmed. The 11-are site is guiding at 20m euros.
@A-ha wrote:
I always rate towns on what shops and restaurants they have in them. Thats why I’m not much of a fan of Waterford. Only one shopping centre in the city centre and no Marks and Spencers.
Thats a really depressing thought A-ha, SHould you not rate towns on the friendliness of the people, the variety of open spaces, the quality of schools, cultural activities and places of worship? Or am I just fooling myself?
With regard to Frinailla’s Lady’s Well, (nice images lexington!) I think everyone agrees that that area of Watercourse Road in particular is in urgent need of a revamp. It was left to rot by stakeholders for far to long and up to a very short time ago, the City Council had no interest in the site.
Despite this, I know the local community would not be willing to accept a situation where an inappropriate development is slotted in – based on the pre-conception that anything at all is better than what is currently there.
The original plans, way back when were totally unsuitable for the site. The individual pieces were too tall (and I LOVE tall buildings :)) and the overall look was as if it had been parachuted in. This is certainly been a long drawn out process (extended even further now by ABP) but I think if we look at what was originally proposed and what is now proposed, we see what could have been achieved (and much faster) if the developers had realised how locals would react to the development.
As it stands now, I would be flabergasted if ABP did not back-up Cork CIty Council’s decision to grant permission. I’ll look forward to seeing how the plan envisaged is realised in bricks and mortar.Incidently, Lexington, I dont understand how Frinailla can link the decision at Blackpool to the start up of their City Square development. Surely these are individual projects and the CIty Council/ABP should not be held to ransom like this.
🙂 Cado Systems Ireland are to apply for the construction of a 3-storey, 4580sq m office building over basement car-park at their Bessboro Road site off the Skehard Road in Blackrock. The new building will feature new office units for business and technology uses and is situated close to an area of the city undergoing substantial redevelopment with MahonPoint not far away.
😎 Michael Drummond & Dan Carroll’s plans for Blarney Street have been rejected. The partners had employed architects Magee Creedon to design a 36-unit scheme with 17 houses, 9 apartments and 10 duplexes. However CCC ruled that the plan represented a gross overdevelopment of the site. A previous plan for the same site at and to the rear of 257 Blarney Street, albeit on a fractionally smaller site scale, was also refused for 32 residential units in 2003 for reasons similar to the above refusal.
Thats a really depressing thought A-ha, SHould you not rate towns on the friendliness of the people, the variety of open spaces, the quality of schools, cultural activities and places of worship? Or am I just fooling myself?
No, I do take into account what you have mentioned. That’s why Cork is such a great city. People are friendly and always funny. Even when I’m on the bus or in a queue somewhere, I always end up laughing to myself at other peoples conversations. It’s a Cork persons nature to be funny. As for Cultural activities… European Capital of Culture and quality of schools… the only three people to recieve straight A’s in the leaving cert. were all from Cork. That’s what makes a city, all those factors. But I always brief a city on it’s shops. If major retailers won’t locate there and local shops can’t survive, there is something seriously wrong with the city. Just a walk down Oliver Plunkett street will show you how vibrant our city is. Most of the shops are still family owned and manage to thrive as they always have done. This isn’t the case in other cities!
With the most sincere intentions Aha, i would say ‘stop right there’. I understand what you are saying but think it may be lost in a hole you may not want to dig in. 😉
@Radioactiveman wrote:
“but don’t you dare call my posts a waste if (sic) time” [A-ha, Post #334 above]
This quote suggests that you are blaming someone and as if you are saying it was someones fault.“people were more tolerant” [A-ha, Post #336 above]
I doubt whether the people of Waterford would be happy about the suggestion that they were ever less tolerant (than Cork at least) of other religions at the time.Finally, It was I who suggested that towns should be rated on a number of things, including “the quality of schools, cultural activities and places of worship” [RM, Post #328, above] however the variety of places of worship cannot be changed by some sort of artificial intervention.
Places of worship are, by their nature constructed by communities of faith, generally living in a particular area. It is not the job of a city to construct place of worship for all religions in order to atttract that religion to the city. Therefore, a city cannot be faulted for a lack of religious diversity, especially given the country we are living in.That will be my final comment on the matter. Let’s not get distracted from the job in hand.
My Great Grandmother was the child of an immigrant Jewish Family that settled in Cork because of religious tolerance practised in the city that wasn’t evident elsewhere in the province. However this was a very long time ago and I would hope that Waterford and Limerick today are at least tolerant to those of other persuasions.
Waterford, Limerick, Galway all seem to be very vibrant and thriving centres. In fact Cork’s recent economic boom was quite belated when you consider what had been happening in those other towns. All three cities represent prosperity and positivity, as well as citizens with keen wit and humour.
I love Cork and am an extremely proud Corkonian, but I see no need to slag off Waterford on this site.
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