Look at de state of Cork, like!

@sw101 wrote:

lexington,

can you recommend somebody in the IAWS (development officer/designer/anyone really) who might be able to help me get survey drawings or other info on the R&H Hall silo on kennedy quay? i’m doing my thesis on redeveloping it as a design institute and any help would be appreciated.

thanks

I’ll look into it for you – I’ll try and have details for you tomorrow as I’ll be away for the rest of the week.

So Lexington, Dunnes have won the bid for the centre? What a pity, was hoping marks & sparks would come good. That must be 9 or 10 stores they have in the city alone now, a bit excessive, eh? Could really do with some competition. Any other confirmed tenants?

It would seem that way – I can confirm that M&S were in talks with O’Flynn Construction – but it seems Dunnes put forward the best offer and that won the day. It’s a shame really – that’s 2 developments M&S seem to have lost out on (the other being Mahon Point – which Tesco ultimately took). I would like to see some diversity too – the city is saturated with Dunnes, which in my own personal opinion – offer little by way of individuality or speciality. They stock and provide the same old same old as everything like SuperValu, Tesco, Superquinn (who were interestingly also in talks with O’Flynn Construction about BTC) etc etc. At least M&S bring a little diversity. Their Irish stores are well recognised as being its most profitable. However, there is a mild rumour, M&S have not yet wholly withdrawn from talks, and may be contemplating a smaller unit for its Simply Food brand. We’ll have to wait and see.

*UPDATES*

Just while we’re talking about all these stores and such, as reported by Neil Callahan in the Sunday Business Post (21st November 2004) and I can confirm this also, the UK Department Store chain John Lewis have been seeking to locate a premises in ‘southern Ireland’. By southern, I don’t mean the Republic, I’m referring to the Munster region – and I am told, to be more specific, southern Ireland means Cork. I have also heard Michael O’Donoghue has been having talks with a number of possible tenants for his Cornmarket Street (Rockfell) Department Store and Apartment Development – I just wonder (cough cough) if John Lewis was among one of them???

John Lewis. Very interesting! “Never knowingly oversold” and all that. I wonder why they would choose Cork first though? If they are indeed considering a move into Cornmarket St, then that is a very positive move for that area. They are the type of tenant that developement has to attract to succeed.

Don’t forget Roches Stores, that is the most significant department store in Cork City centre. John Lewis would be a brillant scoop for the development. Personally I was of the opinion that a letting to multiple tenants would be a better direction for the street, given the lack of large units for the major multiple such as H+M and Zara, but the advent of such a major name in retail would be a fantastic anchor for the area.

anyone notice any similarities between the building on the cover of this week’s Sunday Times ‘Home’ supplement (Tall Tower in Dublin) and the planned ‘landmark’ building for the old Sorting Office site on Eglington Street? If I get a chance I’ll post a pic of each later today

-> Justin Canty has sold his site along the Victoria Cross Road for an undisclosed sum (in excess of 1.5m euro). The site had F.P.P. for a 5-storey student apartment building with 24 apartments (73 individual rooms), underground car-park, laundry, 3 medical units, security office and other ancillary facilities. The building, designed by O’Shea Leader, boasts extensive roof-top gardens also. A S50 development, the building will most likely head for immediate construction to meet the 2006 deadline – that’s if the un-named buyer avails of the planning permission.

A number of ‘carry-over’ projects are scheduled for 2005 – including the construction of Rockfell’s exciting and long-awaited department store and apartment development on Cornmarket Street, the construction of Frinailla’s Grand Parade Plaza (FINALLY!!!), the will it ever happen Cork School of Music, Cork City Hall’s 32m, 90,000sq ft extension (already under construction), Fleming Construction’s student development at Victoria Cross, UCC’s 150,000sq ft IT Centre at the former Western Road Greyhound Stadium and hopefully O’Callaghan Properties’ Jurys Hotel development and John Mannix’s Washington Street development (see above).

Decisions due will include Frinailla’s Watercourse Road development, the Kino Cinema redevelopment, Howard Holdings’ Hotel and Retail Development for Lavitts Quay (due to be lodged in mid-December), O’Flynn Construction’s Eglinton Street development – plus a number of other projects scheduled to be lodged before the year end.

Projects due to be lodged for 2005 – are expected to include, Howard Holdings’ Albert Quay office building, Werdna Ltd’s amended Water Street development, a new application by the Kenny Group for 50 Grand Parade (South Main Street Car Park), plans for the Capitol Cineplex by Ward Anderson – a number of exciting quayside/docklands proposals – plus whatever plans developers have in store for the city. A major anticipated deal, is expected for the Brooks Haughton site bordered by Copley Street, South Terrace and Union Quay, as well as an announcement for the Careys Tool Hire facility on Terence McSwiney Quay and Albert Road.

2005, Cork’s year as Capital of Culture, should reign in a number of new investment projects – a myriad of demographics are working in favour for Cork over the coming years. Expect 2003, 2004 and 2005 to only mark the tip of the ice-berg for what may be yet to come. A particular focus is expected on the docklands – perhaps some movement on Horgan’s Quay? Only time will reveal that one.

There are a number of other exciting projects in the pipeline but unfortunately, I can’t discuss all of those as of yet, but when I can, you’ll undoubtedly hear about it first.

With the announcement that the Shandon Bridge, connecting Pope’s Quay with Cornmarket Street, will finally be opened next week, it would seem engineer and developer John Paul Lennon (also behind Sean Meehan’s withdrawm application for an over-river multi-storey car-park at Grenville Place) is back at it again!

Mr. Lennon has employed architect Sam Stephenson (of Central Bank and AIB HQ fame) to design a new proposal for a 30m euro retail and residential development…on a bridge, spanning Anderson’s Quay and St. Patrick’s Quay. This is Mr. Lennon’s second attempt at building a residential bridge at this location over the Lee. His previous application, back in 1998, consisted of a 5-storey structure over a specially constructed 73-metre bridge w/ 48 apartments and a commercial arcade. The application was refused – among the many reasons cited, it was stated the development would have constituted a major intervention on an unprecedented scale, which would irrevocably alter the spatial characteristics and dynamics of the city centre. One of the visual and architectural characteristics of the city is the openess of the quayside areas with views upstream and downstream giving a distinctive city image that would be significantly altered by the proposed development. The proposed development was claimed to be functionally isolated and not relating to either existing nor proposed pedestrian routes in the city.

Inspired by trips to Venice (Ponte de Rialto), Prague (Charles Bridge) and Florence (Ponte Vecchio), Mr. Lennon will now lodged an application for his development in Janurary of next year (2005). The new proposal would see a western bridge elevation used as an open pedestrian walkway, with the eastern elevation catering for an extensive shopping arcade. 12 apartments would be developed above these shops, ranging up to 3-storeys high – with 6 penthouses above this again. Mr. Lennon projects a 2-year construction period, hoping to see the proposal up and running by Christmas 2007.

Besides the fact that the sums don’t add up on this one, novelty aside, this would be a woeful addition to the city – especially at this location. Even were it to be built on a less imposing site, say somewhere back along the South Channel, I wouldn’t have such a problem with this – but I am confident CCC will cite the same reasons as before in its refusal.

-> Now this one is a corker (no pun intended)! Frinailla Developments Ltd applied to demolish the existing structures on their Watercourse Road sites (that of the 40m euro residential development fame) and conduct subsurface investigations. A few weeks later, in 3 seperate applications, Frinailla lodged their development intentions for a new 5-storey residential and community services development (see previous posts). When the planning decision came about earlier today fort he first batch of applications (related to excavations) – CCC refused grant based on the fact that no development proposal was attached to the applications, and therefore it could not justify a grant where such demolition and excavation would create an unsightly street-scape and cause a resident nuisance (i.e. asbestos etc). So, perhaps if Frinailla had just lodged their development intentions at the same time as part of a single application (in which excavation work was sought alongside the development proposal) – planning may perhaps have been granted. It all sounds a bit arse-ways to be honest. But I kind of see where CCC are coming from on this one. Frinailla just caused themselves more grief in a move they probably thought was smarter than it actually was. Hopefully their residential plan will get through this time at least.

– However, I’m sure Frinailla will be delighted by the fact that they were today granted planning by ABP for a 70m 206 unit residential development near Ballincollig and Carrigrohane today. Among the conditions of grant was a point citing Frinailla must allocate a proportion of their development to Cork County Coucil’s affordable housing scheme. Kieran Conway of Frinailla didn’t seem to unhappy about the condition.

That looks like the European Parliament buildings in Brussels. Only smaller, obviously.

I know the funding has been granted, but is there any news on the Midleton railway line? When is work due to start?

what’s the building in front of the fire station?

@lexington wrote:

Here are just some better images, long overdue I know, of the proposed Cork City Hall extension – designed by ABK, currently under First Phase preliminary construction by Cleary Doyle. The new 32m euro 4-storey extension will provide over 90,000sq ft of office space – to cater for the majority of CCC departments – in excess of 300 parking spaces underground and at roof level, and incorporate the latest environmentally friendly capabilities. To be honest with you, the external structure does little to inspire – but I have to say, the internal pedestrian walkway and office areas look closer to the money.

who has serious land holdings in Carrs Hill to do a swap? O Flynn, O Brien & O Flynn? I wonder…