jungle
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I agree that the Glucksman is a great building. I’m still unhappy about the location and more particularly the fact that nobody has tried to repair the damage the builders did to the lower grounds [or at least they hadn’t a month ago].
I like the new Pana and I like the lights. I also like the fact that the lights have separate lighting for the footpaths and the street.
A particular dislike of mine is the Norwich Union building on South Mall. With the white tiling on the outside it looks like a giant public toilet.
As I’ve already veered from new developments, a building I like that nobody else does is Connolly Hall. Maybe it’s because it was one of the few newer buildings when I was growing up in Cork.
I’m not a fan of the changes to the student centre in UCC. I liked the original building, but the extension detracts from it for no obvious practical benefit.
I like the new bus station. It’s a pity it couldn’t have been integrated with the train station, but that would have meant moving it to a less useful position.
I like the Siemens building behind Penrose Wharf.
One building that worries me is the proposed new 8-storey hotel for Crosses Green. Given the trouble about the height of the Jury’s project, I can’t believe that this will get the go-ahead right next to St. Finn Barre’s cathedral and Elizabeth Fort, but stranger things have happened.
If it’s the building I’m thinking of, it was originally the Cork Church of Ireland Grammar School. This school moved out to a site on the Old Blackrock Road. After a merger with another school it eventually became Ashton School.
Perhaps Ashton would have a record of some of the early part of the building’s history.
@mickeydocs wrote:
Has anyone heard of the possibility of a rail connection between Cork and Belfast, and Cork – Sligo???
I can’t see Cork-Sligo happening, although as lexington said Cork-Galway is possible as it just means reopening a stretch of line from Ennis to Athenry.
Cork-Belfast has been awarded funding by the EU. It’ll basically mean Cork-Dublin-Belfast on the existing line with trains scheduled to run through the Phoenix Park tunnel.
jaysus, they cant manage the cork-dublin one, let alone any new ones….
From 2006, new trains will operate Cork-Dublin with a train every hour.
Well, as airbridges would be used by Boeing 737s and A320/321s, the potential market for air-bridges is Aer Lingus (10 fpd), BMI Baby (6 fpd – although 4 fpd as the aircraft currently used on Cardiff flights are not suitable), Ryanair (5 fpd), EasyJet (2 fpd) and Czech Airlines (1 fpd). Add to these, charter flights which range from an average of 6 fpd in summer to 1 fpd in winter. This is a potential market of 25-30 fpd before growth is accounted for.
However, Ryanair currently have a policy of avoiding using them if possible.
With every business venture, there is an element of risk, but these figures would suggest current demans for at least 2 air-bridges (based on 6-10 slots being sold).
Incidentally, Ryanair are introducing a new route from Cork to Liverpool in April. I think this was primarily because EasyJet were rumoured to be eyeing the route. Supposedly, EasyJet are also considering Cork-Newcastle, so it will be interesting to see if Ryanair do anything there.
Airlines pay more to use airbridges. Even assuming that only Aer Lingus and Czech Airlines opt to use them, you’re still lookng at 800,000 pax per annum. At 50c per passenger charge, and allowing for generous operating expenses of E200K per annum, they’d still have paid for themselves in under 7 years. There may be a case for reducing the number, but even the business case isn’t there for removing them.
The IE plan would provide a direct connection from Heuston to the airport and a single change from Connolly to the airport. It would benefit the whole of Ireland. The RPA plan just links the centre of Dublin to the airport.
Which? I thought only the 8/8A passed by county hall.
They may be allowing for a lot of non-staff parking because of the motor tax and driving licence centres being there.
Are there any plans to extend the 2, 7A, 10 or 19 buses to Mahon Point, or is this to be a totally car-centric development?
I don’t think Clogheen is on main sewerage yet. Kerry Pike certainly isn’t. Until it is installed, I can’t see any great development going on in the area.
St Finbarr’s Hospital
St Finbarr’s Hospital is housed on a huge, underused site. With the loss of its maternity department to CUH and the neighbouring development on the Nemo Rangers grounds, are there any plans to sell off/develop any of its lands?
I live in Douglas and don’t have any objections in principle to the development. If anywhere in Douglas is suitable for development of taller buildings, it’s this site. It doesn’t overlook any houses and is central to the commercial district of Douglas.
The traffic congestion problem in Douglas is almost entirely down to lack of coordination between the city and county councils. All that is needed is all the roundabouts replaced with linked traffic lights and a clampdown on illegal parking and the traffic flows can be handled.
The roundabout seems to be gone in the Douglas Shopping Centre image. Hopefully, this is a good sign.
And I’m even more afraid to tell you that yes, the Portacabin is still there – but thankfully it will be history come the end of this month w/ all Bus Eireann ‘operations’ moving to the refurbished bus station
I got to use the ‘new’ bus station for the first time last weekend. I have to say, having been skeptical at first, it is a hell of an improvement on what was there.
Are there any plans for the site of what was The Liberty? For those who don’t remember the pub, it’s the derelict site opposite the back of the Queens Old Castle.
It’s true that Roches is the most significant department store as it is one of the most significant in Dublin. I was thinking along the lines of destination stores.
Its role as a destination store is what is so exciting about John Lewis. It would attract people who might normally shop in Limerick, Waterford or even Dublin.
[Editted because it didn’t make sense as originally written]
John Lewis. Very interesting! “Never knowingly oversold” and all that. I wonder why they would choose Cork first though? If
Possible because Dublin already has 3 significant department stores – BT, Arnott’s and Clery’s. Cork only has BT, which is a small number for a city of its size.
Re: The IFI site. I have no idea who bought it. It’s a pity that the Port of Cork didn’t get it. The cost of establishing an alternative dockside site with rail access from scratch will be heavy.
Do you think that any cinema element will be included in the Capitol development? If the Capitol closes there will be a woeful lack of cinema screens in Cork city centre – even allowing for the Kino expansion.
I would imagine that Mahon Point will draw most of its customers from Douglas, which I expect to close, from customer’s who don’t currently go to the cinema and to a lesser extent from Midleton. I don’t know how significant the impact on city centre cinemas will be.
If the cinema element is to be taken out of the Capitol, are there any other city centre sites that are suitable for cinema development?
When I lived in Dublin there was a site at the junction of Capel St and Bolton St that was given planning permission as a new hotel. The original idea for the site had been for apartments. When it was built, the owner applied for a change of use and converted it into apartments. Is there any chance that this could be the thinking on the Jury’s site? Supposedly, it was easier to get planning permission for hotels than for apartments.
