What’s happening in Cork these days?

Very little. At the moment it seems that every proposed development is objected too and subsequently turned down by An Bord Pleanala. People are beginning to get very frustrated with the appeals board.

There was a plan for a 300 room hotel in the city centre that the city council painstakingly negotiated details of with the developers for months which was unceremoniously rejected by An BP. If you are in Cork the lack of cranes on the skyline is painfully obvious, literally nothing is being built in the city centre.

The only place anything has been built lately is UCC, with several new buildings, including a new sports centre and student centre. There’s a couple of proposals for office blocks on the quayside on derelict sites, but no doubt An BP will find some fault with these too, and decide that the city needs derelict sites far more than it needs office space.

Did that partial return of the Savoy to use as a legitimate theatre or concert venue happen? So used to “vapourware” theatre plans here in Dublin.

There is a lot of frustration in Cork at the moment at the pace of development , and it is not due to a lack of demand. The hotel/retail development at cornmarket Street turned down by BP was a major blow to a part of the city in dire need of investment. Similarly, on Carrols Quay, another office/residential development. A lot of concern within City Hall I would imagine, about this development inertia. There are a lot of projects ‘about to happen’ at the moment, you just feel that one or two will set the ball rolling. The Cork Docklands Plan announced recently, could be a catalyst in this regard. Produced by Urban Initiatives, it is an excellent plan, which i think has been passed by the Council, for an area which has excellent potential. Very Strong on Urban Design, Transport and Ownership issues. Otherwise, the Patrick Street redevelopment (by Beth Gali) is delayed, because the Corp. await on funding from sales of their lands in Mahon, which in turn awaits on the decision of BP relating to the mixed development on that land. Not really a good situation to be in. Plans to redevelop Train Station significantly as part of Docklands Project, as well as relocation of bus station. Cork at the moment has a lot of potential, and should be taking advantage of its second city status. It may lose out to other cities and to its suburbs, as it has done. Also, European City of Culture may effect some changes. We hope.

[This message has been edited by bunch (edited 13 March 2002).]

Is it true that a lot of the city centre sites are being sat on by developers who are buying up the properties as the leases run out?
Every time I go to Cork I am amazed at how dodgy most buildings look around patrick st. grand parade and so on. It seems as if the boom passed cork by.
On a more positive note – keep your eyes trained on UCC – a lot of interesting stuff going on there.