Lancaster Quay Hospital
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@thesource wrote:
O’Callaghan’s have never built, operated or raised funding for a private hospital and are only trying to now because the residential market is dead. They are trying to raise finance at one of the most difficult economic times in our history so naturally investors are nervous about projects like this due to their and their operators lack of a track record and experience in developing and running private hospitals in Ireland.
With the uncertainty surrounding the financial viability of this project would it really be in the long term interests to permit a commercial use at odds with the site and its surroundings, and one that will damage the setting of one of Cork’s greatest cultural heritage? The sensible answers is clearly no.
O’Callaghans should be made to continue with their approved residential development and adjust the costs and prices for the current market conditions. When they bought the site they gamble on the boom lasting. It hasn’t, so they have to face it like other developers and get through it. Jumping on the private hospital bandwagon is neither beneficial in the long run to them or the people of Cork.
There are not any questions on the planning application forms about “financial viability” as far as I know.Its a private project on his private land for private patients and will provide top medical jobs and jobs during construction and all privatly funded.
So developers should be forced to build housing units when you clearly state that the residential market is dead ?
Are you willing to lend Owen O’Callaghan the money ? Because the banks will not.
Builders and developers adapt according to demand.
@Cliff Barnes wrote:
Builders and developers adapt according to demand.
Unfortunately that demand sometimes includes the demand from investors for tax break products, which results in the underlying demand for the asset (car park/hotel etc) becoming an irrelevance!
@Angry Rebel wrote:
@Cliff Barnes wrote:
Builders and developers adapt according to demand./QUOTE]
Unfortunately that demand sometimes includes the demand from investors for tax break products, which results in the underlying demand for the asset (car park/hotel etc) becoming an irrelevance!
And even more demand letters from foreign and Irish banks.
i think the overlying thing should be that the planners should be telling them what type of thing to build there, if we go with the logic that developers can build whatever they want simply because its their land, the cities will be in ruins. I dont think that Lancaster Quay site is suitable for a private hospital, I believe its central location could put something far better there and if developers take a punt on a site and lose out because of market conditions, its not up to planners to rescue them
@Pug wrote:
i think the overlying thing should be that the planners should be telling them what type of thing to build there, if we go with the logic that developers can build whatever they want simply because its their land, the cities will be in ruins. I dont think that Lancaster Quay site is suitable for a private hospital, I believe its central location could put something far better there and if developers take a punt on a site and lose out because of market conditions, its not up to planners to rescue them
Well said Pug.
I was only thinking last week about one of the biggest missed opportunities during the Celtic Tiger.
If every city centre hospital was sold at the peak, we could have build a new “campus hospital” somewhere on the outskirts (e.g. within 10 minute drive of city centre – off Bandon Rd, East Cork dual carriageway etc). The value of the city sites would have made it close to cost neutral. We would have freed up city sites for better use (per Pug above) and had a world class hospital, with every specialty and facility you could think of. Well laid out with nice landscaping, decent parking, public transport terminus etc etc. Ijnstead we continue to have a hotch potch of hospitals, with our main one being an overdeveloped, badly laid out and run down CUH. I discussed this with a consultant who works in A&E in CUH and he agreed. He hates CUH as it’s so difficult to work on as a site due to the bitty way in which it’s been developed over the years.
@Angry Rebel wrote:
I was only thinking last week about one of the biggest missed opportunities during the Celtic Tiger.
If every city centre hospital was sold at the peak, we could have build a new “campus hospital” somewhere on the outskirts (e.g. within 10 minute drive of city centre – off Bandon Rd, East Cork dual carriageway etc). The value of the city sites would have made it close to cost neutral. We would have freed up city sites for better use (per Pug above) and had a world class hospital, with every specialty and facility you could think of. Well laid out with nice landscaping, decent parking, public transport terminus etc etc. Ijnstead we continue to have a hotch potch of hospitals, with our main one being an overdeveloped, badly laid out and run down CUH. I discussed this with a consultant who works in A&E in CUH and he agreed. He hates CUH as it’s so difficult to work on as a site due to the bitty way in which it’s been developed over the years.
I am sure that if someone was to propose a Houston,Texas style world class medical centre you would have the usual “No to high rise and No to urbansprawl” objectors having their usual fit.
not if you desgn it right and stick it somewhere slightly out of the way of the general publics viewing but very near the city, say like a large area, currently neglected by the Government like, i dont know, the Docklands
@Pug wrote:
not if you desgn it right and stick it somewhere slightly out of the way of the general publics viewing but very near the city, say like a large area, currently neglected by the Government like, i dont know, the Docklands
You would still have the landed gentry Mary Leland types moaning as they will lose their view of Montenotte with a 6/7story “Manhatten” type development.
not at all, i believe the greenery on that side of the river is already pretty much protected, and dont forget, planning has already been granted for the site where the Marquee is held for 3 large residential towers for apts, something like 14 storeys , a conference centre and offices. I suspect the Docklands masterplan has suggested medical use down there already, certainly i reckon there must have been some submissions to locating a hospital down there. THe Mercy / South Infirmary have been talking about getting out of the cramped quarters in town for a while now
I see from the City Council’s website TP 10/34317 that Riga (one of Owen O’Callaghan’s companies) has lodged another planning application for a private hospital, though this time they are calling it a clinic on Lancaster Quay. Hoepfully he’ll have more luck with ABP this time around!
“for the construction of a medical clinic at the Lancaster Gate development, Lancaster Quay, Cork. The proposal allows for a modification to the permitted and partially completed hotel and apartment permission (permission t.p.04/28705 as modified by 06/31502 and T.P. 05/30361); including the omission of the permitted crèche. The proposed medical clinic will be built in the area previously allocated to the Blocks D and E (and crèche) of TP 04/28705 as modified by 06/31502; a new separate basement car park access will be developed for dedicated car park access to the proposal. The proposal also allows for the closure of the internal circulation road from the eastern to western bridge, the physical separation of the basement car park areas and the dedicated use of the existing basement ramp to provide for access to the apartments and hotel only. The proposal will consist of 93 no beds for inpatient and outpatient treatment; consisting of 46 no general beds, an intensive care unit (high dependency unit) (5 no beds), 22 no surgical day beds, 10 no recovery beds, 10 no post natal beds, staff and ancillary administrative areas, diagnostic imaging, admissions, reception, cafeteria, physiotherapy, consultant suites (10 no.), surgical theatres, pharmacy all on six floors with ancillary basement alterations and works to the existing basement, provision of plant areas and general site layout alterations. The total GFA of the proposed development is 10, 713sqm. The proposal also allows for an additional 1,017sqm of works in the basement through the provision of services and access areas to the existing permitted car parking areas”
ABP doing their bit for the construction industry again I see
@wearnicehats wrote:
ABP doing their bit for the construction industry again I see
By that count nothing will be built in Cork City centre again.
Even in the areas that did not flood last year.
The probably still have permission for an unwanted stack of apartments
@Springer wrote:
By that count nothing will be built in Cork City centre again.
Even in the areas that did not flood last year.
The probably still have permission for an unwanted stack of apartments
The flooding issues seem to be particularly in relation to its use as a hospital though. The concerns are not that the building would flood, but that access would not be maintained, which would be unacceptable in the case of a hospital (but presumably tolerable for a certain period for residential or retail development). I would have thought that the concerns about the effects of contaminated hospital waste in the event of a flood could easily be dealt with.
@jungle wrote:
The flooding issues seem to be particularly in relation to its use as a hospital though. The concerns are not that the building would flood, but that access would not be maintained, which would be unacceptable in the case of a hospital (but presumably tolerable for a certain period for residential or retail development). I would have thought that the concerns about the effects of contaminated hospital waste in the event of a flood could easily be dealt with.
I thought it was elective surgery only. Anyway, I’m interested in this scheme because of the flooding issue with regard to a PA that I hope to lodge soon. Having read the draft report –
http://www.leecframs.ie/floodmaps/maps.asp
I too doubt that anything even remotely adjacent to the Lee will get passed any time soon. This is a draft report though right?
Between the tunnel and flooding will we see any development in Cork over the next few years, and the government lack of funds/will to do anything about rectifying them.
I say “will” because 3 billion can be spent on Metro North and we won’t even mention the banks!
Latest estimate for Metro North is €6bn!!!!
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