lexington
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🙂 Not so long ago I noted that Dunnes Stores would be looking to build on its discussions with CCC by lodging an application for the redevelopment of it’s “birth” store premises along St. Patrick’s Street. Well, Dunnes Stores are now ready to lodge that very application for a massive €30m redevelopment of the historic premises. Dunnes will seek to demolish all existing structures on its 0.024 hectare site bounded by Bowling Green Street to the west, William O’Brien Street to the east, Drawbridge Street to the north and Saint Patrick’s Street to the south – however the St. Patrick’s Street facades at numbers 103, 104 and 105 will be retained and incorporated into this impressive new scheme. Permission will seek to construct a new 6-storey over basement commercial and retail building with convenience retail (predominantly grocery, off-licence etc) at basement level and comparison retail over the remaining 5 levels – among which, a new public restaurant facility will be provided. The gross floor area of the new project will total 13, 863m sq and is located across Bowling Green Street from a new €150m retail, residential and office development set to be lodged by O’Callaghan Properties later in October. This project signals the 1st of at least 3 new major retail development projects earmarked for the Patrick’s Street area over the coming months and years. Design on the project is by Bertie Pope & Associates.
The Dunnes Stores redevelopment site can be seen hightlighted in blue.(Images and further details soon.)
🙂 A very interesting little development on historic Sheare’s Street – Michael Bradley has enlisted Magee Creedon to design a new 4-storey building in place of the prominent single-storey fast-food unit. The building is to comprise of a retail unit over basement and ground floor levels, 1st floor office space and an apartment over 2nd and 3rd floor levels with a roof-top garden. The building is a unique idea on such a small premises and given its location, let’s hope Magee Creedon provide a building to be admired.
🙂 Frinailla can expect a decision date for their Dennehy’s Cross development come November 24th 2005 (same as Water Street appeal outcome), however it remains to be seen whether this date holds. Hmmm. 😉
Ambitious developers Frinailla are to lodge plans for an impressive new redevelopment plan on the strategically located site, formerly that of the Dennehy family, at Dennehy’s Cross. The Dennehy Garage premises were sold to Frinailla earlier this year in a deal estimated to be valued at around the €20m euro mark – since that time, architects O’Mahony Pike have been enlisted to devise a landmark scheme of 163 mixed residential units (59 x 1, 86 x 2 and 18 x 3 bedroom) with 218 car-parking spaces provided over 3 half levels and numerous commercial units (1000m sq) designed for uses such as cafes, retail and other local, community based service activities (including a new post office, pharmacy, restaurant, beauty salon, convenience retail, florist etc). The project should bring back many of the local facilities lost to the area over the years consequent of changing market patterns. The landmark scheme will be submitted to CCC Planning Authority tomorrow (30th September 2005) and will seek to revitalise what has become a worn scene in the Dennehy’s Cross locale. Dennehy’s will seek to relocate operations to a new purpose built facility in the coming future. The subject application will concern only the eastern site premises at this time – a subsequent application will be lodged for proposals on the south-western site premises at some future point – the design of which will be noticeably befitting of its immediate surroundings.
Aerial view of the site (west to east) as it exists.
A comparison, before and after, for the Victoria Cross Road block elevations (west).
Stunning view of the southern elevation leading up toward Dennehy’s Cross along Magazine Road. (Large image, beware!)
New resident ‘green avenue’ – viewed east to west – dividing the 2 blocks.@Radioactiveman wrote:
Seriously Lex, if you were to make a “guesstimate” – How will Lady’s Well get on at ABP? Anybody else want to hazard a guess?
I dare speak! 😀 If I was hedging my bets, I’d still probably put more money on a “grant with revised conditions”. Hopefully conditions that don’t NOR the proposal and knock another floor off the project. 😉 It’s a good project – CCC know it (hence the little intervention), the community knows it (except for a certain few) and I think ABP will trump it on the crunch date. I just hope I’m not proven wrong. 😮
@Radioactiveman wrote:
I have to say, having watched this planning process with interest, I was shocked that ABP upheld the appeal. While the reasons given are valid enough, they seem to indicate a much softer side of ABP 🙂
I wonder will the same approach be taken when dealing with Frinailla’s Lady’s Well Proposal down the street?
I don’t know if I’d say “softer”. Personally I don’t agree that those reasons should qualify for a refusal. Makes you wonder sometimes if ABP have a quota to meet! 😀 But seriously, the hard landscaping to the Watercourse Road elevation is hardly “attractive” and the if the 2/3 storeys of the surrounding areas are the benchmark for this proposal – then the existing building is far more out of place than the refused. Hmmm. Makes one wonder.
Given Bucholz McEvoy Architects contention for the RIAI Gold Medal, I thought it may be worth looking at the firm’s recent Cork completion, the UCC Environmental Research Insitute (ERI) built off campus on lands donated by CCC near the city’s Lee Road WaterWorks. The 3-storey building provides 2890m sq of laboratories, offices and meeting rooms with an adjacent car parking to house approx. 60 researchers. The project started on site in January 2004 and was completed in mid-2005. Micheal Martin, then Minister for Health & Children, officiated at the unveiling of the foundation plaque for the Environmental Research Institute on 19th July 2004. John Sisk & Son Ltd were responsible for the construction, while M.C. O’Sullivan Ltd acted as Consulting Engineers.
(View of the Southern, River Facing Elevation)
(Lee Road [Northern] Elevation)who_me wrote:I quite like the Crow’s Nest plans. I have to admit though, I’m firmly in the “let’s hide the County Hall” camp!I’m not sure how we can group tall buildings together (as many people favour) if we also need to space them out to prevent views being obstructed. We have to pick one or the other – I’ve a coin ready to flip if anyone’s interested! ]
I think Cork County Hall has a certain symbolic appeal to it as well – it has an arrogant beauty about it, however, that said, I would not oppose the development of a tall structure within its surrounds. My problem with the Crow’s Nest proposal is that it’s not a particularly aesthetically pleasing one, in my own personal opinion. If it wants to justify it’s height and location, it needs to prove it through design The Crow’s Nest site is a unique one, the current proposal fails to take advantage of this – why can’t the design avail of the Victoria Cross corner curvature, providing nice round, glass fronted curves and providing better incorporation of its finishes into an overall slender form. A distinctive shape could stretch taller than the current plan because a sleek design could justify such distinctive merits. For some reason this proposal reminds me of the Treasury Holdings Barrow Street proposal designed by Anthony Reddy. I have no objection to the principle of the proposal, but the design just doesn’t do it for me – which is a shame because RORSA are well capable of doing better than this. 🙁
😎 Cork County Council have granted Gerard Corkery planning permission for 127 new residential units (32 semi-detached, 38 terraced, 14 duplexes and 28 apartments) along with a creche, new sports facility (including club house, 3 new pitches, tennis courts and basketball court) all at lands at Poulavone, Carrigrohane near Ballincollig. Dennehy + Dennehy are responsible for the design.
🙂 Meanwhile O’Flynn Construction have been granted planning to develop a new 100 bedroom hotel not far away at their Ballincollig Town Centre development. The proposal will include a restaurant, public bar, board room, leisure centre, function room, chilled yard, generator, switch room and E.S.B. sub-station, car parking, 2 no. vehicular acesses, removal of boundary wall and ruin, vehicular accesses and associated site development works.
😎 O’Shea Leader have head up design and engineering on the Blackline Properties proposal for Carrigaline of 66 no. dwellinghouses with garages for 9 no. dwellings, 6 no. apartments at Ballea Road in
Carrigaline – which also received permission.🙂 John Gately has been permitted planning for 8 2-storey holiday homes and a new leisure centre at his Vienna Woods Hotel in Lotamore, Glanmire. The leisure centre will include a fitness element along with swimming pools, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, creche and gym.
🙂 Michael McNamara Construction are shortly set to erect their 1st tower crane over the €32m 60,000sq ft Boole Library Extension at UCC. The library is designed by US-based SBRA and Wilson Architecture. It will include a new Postgraduate Research area and new archive storage areas, as well as new study and research areas for general student usage. The library is scheduled for completion by the 2007 Academic Term. A further tower crane will be erected at a later date.
@A-ha wrote:
I agree, you can’t beat the Kenny proposal for St. Patricks Qy. I really like it so so much, What’s the storey with Water Street? I haven’t heard anything about it in ages.
An Oral Hearing date has been set for October 11/13th 2005 in the Gresham Metropole Hotel on MacCurtain Street, 10AM. A decision will then be made by ABP on November 24th 2005. Should a positive decision be forthcoming, Werdna will seek to get the project rolling not too long afterwards.
ewankennedy, indeed I also would have a preference for the Kenny proposal – however the McCarthy Developments plan for Centre Park Road is a good quality proposal and I would like to think McDev would proceed with it irrespective of the OPW decision.
I have close ties with Trim, and was up there not so long ago. I recoiled in horror seeing the hotel under construction. Though the principle of a hotel is a positive boost for the town, the design and location of the project is surely one of the worst planning mistakes anywhere in Ireland in many years. First off the hotel juts intrusively across the beautiful vista that is the beautifully manicured northern lawn of Trim Catheral. No matter which way you looked at it, it’s impossible to avoid the ugly hotel intrusion. If not to make things worse, when touring the legendary Norman Castle grounds (you have to pay nowadays, c’est la vie!) – the sight of the hotel sneaking up over the eastern curtain wall shoulder height is surely a criminal enfringement and violation of this most rare and reverent of historical monuments. A woeful hinderance for which all responsible should receive some serious wrist slaps.
Apologises for the delay – but please find the RORSA designs for Barry O’Connor and Robert Kennedy’s Crow’s Nest redevelopment plan. The development includes 74 apartments over a dual-deck 112 space basement car-park; the building generally 6-storeys in height will include a 15-storey, 50m tower element, restaurant, bar and 4 large commercial units at ground floor.
I’ll let you decide for yourself. (Excuse the first image)
Perspective of the development from O’Neill Crowley Bridge (scanner blur/light penetration)
Carrigrohane/Northern Elevation Persepctive.
*UPDATES*😎 Bernard Crowley and Gerald Paul have submitted Significant Unsolicited Further Information on their original plans to construct a 6/7 storey building of 67 apartment units over basement car-park (44 space) and gym. Numerous objections have been lodged against the proposal destined for the former Riverside Farm on the Model Farm Road. The Dennehy + Dennehy designed building is located to the west of Rossbrook housing estate and across the road from the new Eden Hall Student development by Myraoak Limited, designed by Frank Ennis & Associates. The new proposal has made a number of reductions and alterations to floor-plans. Among the changes is a drop in height to 6-storeys max. The building then slopes lower backing toward Rossbrook to the east and south.
View of the western elevation along the Model Fram Road.
For those of you interested – I will update my last post on bidders for the new Revenue Commissioners office premises with an image of the McCarthy Developments (Tom and Michelle McCarthy) proposal (already cleared through planning) of a 100,000sq ft 8-storey office development along Centre Park Road (adjoining Centre Park House – McCarthy Developments HQ) on the former Goldcrop site. The building is designed by Oisin Creagh of Murray O’Laoire. To see images of the other rival bid, that of Paul Kenny, those images can be found earlier in this thread.
(McCarthy Developments Centre Park Road Office Development)@lisam wrote:
Lisney and Hooke & Macdonald are the slling agents for Eden in Blackrock. There is a dedicated website for the project but its not up and running properly yet. http://www.edenblackrock.ie
Eden Hall is the student accomodation at the Tennis Village on the Model Farm Road.
And the Frank Ennis & Associates designed scheme at Eden Hall can be looked at here -> Eden Hall. The developers are Myraoak (David Corr, Joe McCarthy et al). Certainly, weighing up the various student developments around Cork, Eden Hall seems much more the ‘well-rounded’ project, with a generally strong design and mixed of activities from leisure to recreational to accommodation. Brian McCarthy Construction seem to have done a good job on the finishes also. Niall Fitzsimons were Consulting Engineers. The only bother about it, I would claim, is its peripheral location – although CIT is not too distant away.
@Pug wrote:
cheers for that info re turners cross lex, you’re a beautiful human being
Flattery will get you everywhere with me! ]who_me[/B] I agree the design is nothing special – especially considering the price tags, which is a pity really. Very basic. Indeed the finishes may be good quality, but unfortunately they are not satisfactorily reflected on the outer design. Just my own opinion.
@Pug wrote:
anyone know whats going on the site directly opposite the side entrance to The Turners Cross tavern around the corner from the church? Supples are in there :confused:
A new sheltered housing scheme for Cork City Council, including: Construction of 18 no. apartments incorporating 17 no. apartments on three floors and a community facility at ground level with 1 no. apartment overhead. Jack Healy, City Architect is behind the design.
*UPDATES*😮 Cumnor Construction have sought to increase their permitted Sunday’s Well apartment development, designed by Jack Coughlan & Associates by 5 further apartment units, from 22 to 27. 5 additional parking spaces are to be provided as well as increases in the size of 7 permitted units.
@Leesider wrote:
as regards the patrick’s quay development do you see this going ahead if they don’t get the Revenue deal?? Would be a shame to lose this development.
With over 120,000sq ft of office space, subject to appeal success, it would be a big gamble as a stand alone all-in-one go project. However the development consists of 2 buildings interlinked. Mr. Kenny, may decide to build the development in phases and facilitate a more extended tenancy allocation period providing a greater degree of sustainability. One must consider that this project would be up against a number of other very large office projects coming on stream. However, given the tailor-made nature of the building, it is really up for question. One only Mr. Kenny I think could best answer. He has put a substantial investment it getting this project off the ground, from acquiring the neigbouring premises to refusing offers for his site of up to 8 and 10m euros. So if that’s a guide as to his confidence or his commitment to the project, you can interpret it yourself best. I do know the project is well thought of by the OPW.
The submission date is gone and the OPW are expected to make a decision on the winning bid for the new Revenue Commissioners offices in Cork. The RC will seek to relocate to approx. 80,000sq ft of new offices, with a possible option on more, housing up to 600 staff relocated from their existing premises at Government Buildings on Sullivans Quay. A tender was opened for submissions on new office space for the RC at the start of the year (2005) with an original March deadline set for submissions – this date was subsequently extended until September 24th. The proposed deal between the OPW and the successful bid includes a land-swap of the 3/4 acre Government Buildings site on Sullivans Quay which homes the 8-storey office block, which suffers from subsidence issues. The developer who attains the site will acquire not only a long-term, valuable tenant for their office development, but also a superb city centre site capable of a large-scale, landmark development only a stone’s throw across the southern Lee Channel from Grand Parade.
A number of bids were submitted to the OPW – however I can reliably tell you that 3 bids in particular have been given very serious consideration, among them, Cork’s largest ever proposed office development at St. Patrick’s Quay by Paul Kenny, designed by Wilson Architecture. The Kenny development is currently the subject of a 3rd party and 1st party appeal.
The other entries include McCarthy Developments, with an 8-storey, 100,000sq ft office building designed by Oisin Creagh of Murray O’Laoire Architects, along Centre Park Road. The Shipton Group with a large-scale 80,000sq ft area of office space currently under construction at Blackpool Retail Park (however, it is understood that the Group are proceeding with the marketing of this project irrespective and have a number of interested parties lined up). Frank Sheahan & Joe Carey have also offered a site of theirs between Blackpool and the city centre. OFC are believed to have pitched their BTC office campus – but the OPW have expressed a preference for a city centre site and given a 2km max. distance from Kent Station as a qualifying dimension.
The Kenny development (which was tailor-made for the RC) would seem the popular favourite among many (given its landmark design, locational relevance and proximity to Kent Station – an OPW requirement) however, the ready to go nature of offers proposed, like that of McCarthy Developments and The Shipton Group may sway a final decision. The final decision will be a landmark coup for the winning developer, open up the option of another large-scale and exciting city centre development and quite possibly decide the fate of some prospective developments already proposed.
(McCarthy Developments Centre Park Road Office Development)@ewankennedy wrote:
As for Cornmarkt street, i think a development at the Loft/Coal quay bar could be really nice but it would have to be respectful and really classy. I think a little postmodern Romanseque could do the trick here. Maybe, i dunno.
One site on Cornmarket Street, which has potential for a nice infill mixed use – possibly retail in the main – development is that infill site between the Paintwell Limited premises and The Loft. Currently it serves as a parking area and pedestrian corridor onto North Main Street. The site backs onto the rear of a number of structures facing North Main Street. A clever, stylish development could potentially be realised here – whilst maintaining and promoting the pedestrian corridor route between the 2 streets (Cornmarket and North Main Street). Consideration will have to be applied to the Bodega structure, given its nature, but depending on the shoulder height proposed for any redevelopment of the Loft & Coal Quay Bar, conceivably, a new building of 6-storeys (on par with the Rockfell proposal across the street) could be constructed here with a nice mixed of retail, leisure, restaurant and perhaps some residential elements on the upper floors.
Infill site just out of frame – to the right of Paintwell Limited premises.@daniel_7 wrote:
just wondering does anyone know is there any concrete plans for the loft site because it says in the cornmarket street master plan that development of this site should corispound with the development of the guys site?I also read recently that owen o callaghans plans for an evant centre at mahon point are looking good after they carried out a feasability study on the site?
The Loft site will be redeveloped at some future stage, incorporating the Coal Quay bar. It is earmarked for higher order retail use and will likely extend vertically while incorporating the existing, protected limestone facade. Herlihy’s sold the Loft site for a sum believed to be in or above 2.5m euro, while Joe O’Donovan also purchased the Coal Quay bar next door for a figure understood to be about 4m euros.
As for OCP plans on an Event Centre at Mahon Point, it seems doubtful. Consider site size, access, land type, proximity to residential (400 new units being developed by McCarthy Developments at Jacobs Island directly next-door), parking etc etc. Although I do agree that the waterfront nature of the site would be attractive, it would be an exceptionally tight/tricky fit. The original plan was for a predominantly public-string (EU etc) funded trade centre.
Furthering on from my early post on Joe O’Donovan’s acquisitions of late, it has also now been confirmed that in addition to the freehold sale of Pound City, through agents Lisney which was also stated in the earlier post, adjoining premises No.55 Patrick’s Street has also been purchased by the investor. This new premises will add nicely to Mr. O’Donovan’s other purchase on Market Lane, The Oyster Tavern.
To re-cap the news see the previous post here ->: Joe O’Donovan’s Big Plan?
Also, previously noted early in the thread, the sale on the Coca-Cola Bottling premises on Carrigrohane Road was only now confirmed to staff through SIPTU. The sale was handled by Lisney and is believed to have fetched in and around the 5m euro mark.See that post here: Coca-Cola Premises Sale
*UPDATES*🙂 Frinailla are set to apply for the conversion of a storage unit along Allinet Lane which adjoins their CitySquare (Ladyswell) project (due for ABP decision on October 13th 2005) – the proposal will see the unit revamped to include 2 new apartments.
🙂 Aldi Stores are set to apply to CorkCoCo to develop a new store on a 1.26acre site, formerly Dean and Chapter Land of Cobh, in Cloyne.
@A-ha wrote:
But I have always hated Aer Lingus since they managed to close down JetMagic. The airline flew to places like Milan, Brussels and Nice and other places unknown to Cork before them. Aer Lingus then began operating flights to Milan and Nice, selling fares for half the price and more frequent until JetMagic had to finally close down.
JetMagic wasn’t a bad concept – and it is one that could have been quite viable, however the airline management made a number of fatal errors. First off, the lack of core development routes – to encourage usage, an airline must provide well scheduled link routes – destinations that allow for connections as well as serve a final destination demand, for example, Frankfurt-am-Main, Paris CDG, London Heathrow/Gatwick, Amsterdam Schipol, even Zurich – these are well developed hub destinations that allow leisure and business travellers make onward connections. They serve a dual purpose. The airline should ideally provide early morning flights, to allow for connections, and evening return flights, to allow time for connecting passengers to make the flight home. Flying to London City, though ideologically sound, in actuality was flawed – JetMagic’s strategy did not provide the necessary times to satisfy business travellers. Also, the demand was generally insufficient and more often than not, you’ll actual find higher business traveller demand off-hat to Heathrow than City. Also, JetMagic should have competitively encouraged travellers to utilise Cork as a hub for their onward journeys – pitching the relatively fast transit times afforded by the airport’s size – in comparison to say, Dublin and Belfast. JetMagic spread with a number of secondary routes too fast when it should have focused and developed sustainable routes – Barcelona, Alicante and Nice were good calls. I don’t think you can blame Aer Lingus for JetMagic’s downfall. I think this is an excuse that provided an easy culprit to satisfy some people. For all the experience JetMagic’s management brought with it, it made core mistakes in it’s development. The airline should also have facilitated larger capacity aircraft (eg. Airbus A318 etc) on the aforementioned core connection routes – the Embraer aircraft were perhaps sufficient on some routes. There are numerous other reasons and causes for the airline’s demise – however this is not the platform and I think I for one have discussed enough airline business for a while.
Back to the thread nature…
Leesider – Bowen Construction have erected their 1st tower crane on site and the hotel element is proceeding. The western section is being erected while the basement car-park elements are being founded. The remaining area of the hotel will be built over the basement once complete. A 2nd tower crane will be erected for Block B, fronting the river, later on. Basement excavations will proceed first before this enacts. Bowen intend to have the hotel completed on schedule for next Autumn (2006). The total project will take a 3 years to complete.
