Look at de state of Cork, like!

see the thing is anto as far as I know as part of planning getting approved for the Mahon project O’Callaghan had to build a conference centre along with it. Now he won’t invest in a city centre one as he understandably wants to protect his investment in Mahon. Supposedly plans are fairly advanced!

IMO it might be the best option if we want one in the next 2/3 years. CIE seem to be holding up any development for Horgan’s key every chance they get and the GAA want to buy the Showgrounds so they can do up Pairc Ui Chaoimh, which is badly needed as well.

CCC are advocating the Railway Street/Horgan’s Quay site for a new 6000 seat conference/convention centre – a shortlist of developers is currently being considered. I’ll name them as soon as I receive permission from the respective parties involved.

O’Callaghan Properties have a clause in their sale agreement to integrate a convention centre into the Mahon Point development – the agreement knocked IR£4.3m off the sale price – which contested against a higher offer by MacDonald Properties of Scotland of IR£50m for the lands. O’Callaghan and McCarthy Developments paid £41m between them for the Mahon lands. Failure to develop the convention centre requires O’Callaghan Properties to return 6m euros to CCC. O’C Properties are stalling on this one a bit, for internal reasons rather than viability, this is causing some frustration and CCC are anxious to move forward with Railway Street. I’ll be interested to see how involved CIE get in this project – it will be a reflection of their commitment to continuing with Horgan’s Quay.

That building has been derelict for an incredible 53 years, according to recent press reports. It really is an eyesore. If they can’t renovate it, they should at least paint it.

Another point, Maylor Street is traffic-free between 11am-5pm on Saturdays. However, every Saturday, I can’t believe the number of taxis and cars bullying pedestrians out of the way, between those hours. Does anyone care – where are the traffic wardens/Gardai??

Lexingon, do you have any further info on Howard Holdings latest proposed development on Alfred Street… this should be a good indication as to what to expect in terms of the regeneration in the area?

I was in the city at the weekend and I must say I am very impressed by the new art gallery in UCC, but very disappointed that this took priority over the greyhound track development. This site is now derelict for over six years. If I recall correctly this site sold for a huge sum. It’s typical of UCC. Their buildings on the Western Road and the Maltings are in very bad shape and at least in need of a lick of paint.

What’s the story with the row of houses across the street from the greyhound track?

Does anyone know what is being built on the Lee Road opposite the Lee Towers?

Number 6 Lapps Quay looks great, and it seems as if it will also revive Clontarf street which is quickly becoming one of the most impressive streets in the city.

On the subject of Taxi drivers in Cork, my impression is that in general (exceptions to every rule of course) they are a disgrace in the city. Their cabs are filthy and they can never seem to queue in any kind of order. They also believe that they can launch into conversations without invitation. CCC should have conditions attached to licensing.

On another topic, Parking should be banned from Pana 24/7 asap.

And I agree, taxis and buses are acting unfairly and aggressively toward pedestrians, who have priority, on both Patrick’s Street and Maylor Street. It is a shame on the authorities for not pursuing the offenders for dangerous driving more vigourously. [/B][/QUOTE]

Thanks Lexingotn. So will we finally see the end of those hideous warehouses on Albert Quay?

Any plans yet for the main docklands area next to the Grain Silos?

It’s great that the stench is finally gone from the lee in this area of town. I read somewhere that the docklands area will be suitable for bathers in the next few years. This is hard to believe but fantastic news for this area of Cork.

Has anyone heard anything about a proposed barge commuter service between city hall and Blackrock/Mahon?

I must say that I was very impressed with the rejuvenated Hugeneot district.

I’m also glad to hear that the former Methodist Church facing Waterstones is to get a new lease of life. This is a beautiful period building with immense potential.

Originally posted by lexington
Howard Holdings have proposed to develop a 15m – 20m euro IT/Office building, 5-stories over basement on Albert Quay. They’ve no project planned for Alfred Street (by the Railway Station) that I am aware of. The Albert Quay office building is being constructed on a site, directly across the river from their City Quarter development, and will incorporate Albert House (the Parking Fines building).

UCC have hired Cumnor Construction to refurbish their buildings at the Lee Maltings (a process in mid-swing). Work on their new 20m euro School of Pharmacy on College Road has begun, with initial clearing taking place currently. Pierse Construction begin primary work at the end of August, early September.

On the Lee Road, UCC have hired Sisk Construction to build the new Environmental Research Institute. Designed by Bucholz McAvoy Architects. The 3-storey, “environmentally friendly” building is at an advance stage, as anyone passing the extensive construction site and tower crane will tell you. The site was donated by CCC.

Work on a 62m euro UCC IT and Computer Centre at the former Greyhound Track on the Western Road is scheduled to begin at a preparitive stage come late 2005, depending on planning.

The houses across the way from the Greyhound Track on the Western Road are mostly in private ownership, there is no real story with them. However the 6 terraced houses at Carmelite Place, which are currently boardered up, were scheduled to be demolished as part of a 4-storey over basement car-park development for 20 student apartments, however planning for this project was refused on grounds of scale and inappropriate use.

No.6 Lapps Quay, along with No.5, City Quarter, the dismal but nonetheless refurbishment Bus Station, the Albert Quay office development, O’Flynn Construction’s major retail/residential development at Eglinton Street, 32m euro City Hall Extension, 60m Cork School of Music, Corbett Bros. Office Development at Copley Street, Howard Holdings’ Copley Hall, the South Infirmary’s new Breast Check Clinic at South Terrace and a number of other major development and rejuvenation projects are really gonna make this area of the city exceptionally attractive now and in the near future. Especially considering, all the above projects lay at the mouth of the new docklands development.

Originally posted by corkdood
Does anyone know what they have done to the river to make it smell better? I heard rumours months ago that they had done a cleanup on the lake by Park Ui Chaoimh and were doing the same to the river but never heard the details – something about friendly bacteria I think.

in case u you have nt noticed over the last couple of years the whole city has been up in a heap with roads being dug up and services been relaid esb, gas and also sewage drains, these drains would have orginially drained straight into the river, venice styleee, and thus the river lee like so many othere cities looked dirty and smelled quite bad

see below and follow this link

http://www.corkcorp.ie/maps/drainage.html

Cork City’s waterways are one of its defining features. The River Lee separates into two channels to form the Central Island of the City. Since the foundation of the City, Cork’s sewage has discharged untreated into these channels. Each day 13 million gallons of raw sewage and polluted water flow into the River Lee and Lough Mahon, completely untreated. This is unacceptable for a modern City in the new millennium. Approximately £20 million has been spent on the City’s drainage system over a twenty year period prior to 1997, constructing sewers to intercept the numerous outfalls discharging to the river. This investment moved the point of discharge of the sewage downstream of the City centre. The City’s sewage now discharges through two main outfall points at Horgan’s Quay and Kennedy Quay.

I’m well aware of the main drainage scheme but the river is dirty and smelly well above that sewage outfall point.

I think the lake by Park Ui Chaoimh is called Lough Mahon – they’ve done a great job on that. i suppose its easier with a lake compared to a river.

I think the lake by Park Ui Chaoimh is called Lough Mahon

It’s called Atlantic pond. That whole area, including the land on which Pairc Ui Chaoimh built, was a mud flat before being reclaimed from the River Lee when a dyke (now called The Marina road) was built sometime in the 19 century. It was a part of route for the old Cork, Blackrock & Passage Railway line.

In the Cork City Council masterplan for the area there’s a proposal of developing the pond into a marina, and of

harnessing opportunity for recreation and water activities through the introduction of a new internal dock and potential marina, and the establishment of an internal waterway corridor extending through the area towards Atlantic Pond

I think this could be great for the area, as its so under-utilised at present.

UCC have applied for a 5902m sq Boole Library extension

Any idea of who the architects are for this lexington?

*UPDATES*

🙂 A new Bowen Construction tower crane has been erected today over the No.6 Lapps Quay office development site. Construction has been sub-contracted to Bowen by O’Flynn Construction who will concentrate their construction resources primarily at the Ballincollig Town Centre site. The new crane adds another progressive puncture to Cork’s already dotted skyline and hearlds the beginning of primary construction on the No.6 Lapps Quay project.

🙂 Howard Holdings have erected a large advertising banner on the river-side, southern elevation of their City Quarter office development. The sign reads “60,000sq ft to Let/for Sale”. Though this sign does not mean all that such space is available (and I am informed many deals have already been struck for the development tenancy), even if it did, it still means well over 1/2 of the entire development has been let or sold already. However the addition of a further office floor shows that Howard Holdings are already responding to the demand displayed for the project.