lexington

@Radioactiveman wrote:

This place is quickly turning into the shopping channel 🙁

Yeah, I’m all for discussing relevant tenants and so-called ‘signature’ tenancy developments – after all they sometimes have crucial impacts on development successes and viability etc etc (and God knows I do it myself a bit) – but I think the conversation has strayed a little. It’s no intended jibe at anyone, but aren’t there other forums to discuss the latest styles? :p

😎 Just may be worth noting, given the level of controversy around this project – that Bernard Crowley & Gerald Paul’s plans for a 5 to 7 storey apartment building with 67 units, gym and 49 space basement car-park destined for the Riverside Farm site along the Model Farm Road, and designed by Dennehy + Dennehy, has seen it’s due date pushed back until October 21st 2005. The design slopes south to north peaking at 7-storeys. The developers have had previous applications for a student development on the site. This application has received over 30 seperate objections – including that of a member of the CCC Planning Dept. Issues of traffic management are also a further concern. It’ll be interesting to see how this outcomes.

🙂 Also a strategically located apartment development for Cork city centre is expected to be lodged imminently, the project was previously indicated in an earlier post (possibly in LADSOCL) and I will bring full details of that shortly.

@ewankennedy wrote:

But really, do ya think that building at the location seen in the pictures is really that bad?

See image below and decide for yourself.

Drawing shows Kenny Hotel idea on the South Main Street (western) elevation with Grand Parade Plaza project to left.

Any info on a development on Popes road, Blackpool?

Are you referring to the Eileen Daly project, designed by PRC Architects?

😮 If you follow my posts, you may have been taking note of some points I’ve made – often indirectly – about various plans under assessment for Cork and it’s docklands. Now sometimes they bare fruit, other times not, but it’s always subject to planning, markets, discussions etc etc. If you noted that in a recent post, I referred again to the fact that Paul Kenny had been thinking over new plans for his 50 Grand Parade site (the Citi-Car Park), and among those plans had been an idea for a new landmark hotel – well then, this may interest you!

Mr. Kenny has a history of planning efforts regarding his valuable 50 Grand Parade site, the premises fronts Grand Parade with the shell of a former red-brick Georgian, now used as an entrance to a car-parking facility. In 2000, Mr. Kenny applied and was refused for permission to develop a 7-storey mixed use development consisting of a 22-bedroom hotel, multistorey car-park, offices, retail and apartments. The plan was designed by PRC Architects and subsequently granted following appeal. In 2003, a further application was submitted to CCC seeking the development of student apartments on the site – as part of the previously granted 2000 development, this application was later withdrawn, and until now the site has lain idle, continuing to operate as a car-parking facility. Next door, Frinailla commenced work on their 50 or so unit Grand Parade Plaza development – a project incorporating retail elements, reaching to 7-storeys also and designed by Richard Rainey & Associates.

Architects James Leahy & Associates were approached in 2004 about designing a proposal for a new hotel and mixed use complex at the 50 Grand Parade site. The scheme called for a 180 bedroom hotel with leisure facilities, offices, retail, public boardwalk and parking. The result produced a 14-storey, oval shaped, riverside landmark. Beyond this, it is not known exactly what the Kenny Group now foresee for the site – information on pre-planning discussions are not clear, although it is assumed the proposals in this form were rejected – I’m open for correction on that. Indeed, a hotel and mixed-use plan is probably still on the cards (unless Mr. Kenny is swayed by other issues) – but perhaps not on this scale. One could only imagine the impact it would have had on views of St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral – and to think they were worried about Jurys! 😀 However, this proposal goes to show you that there are exciting schemes been worked at in the background – and some of these are indeed high-rise, mostly earmarked for areas in and around the docklands. Simply because not every scheme bares fruit, does not mean it isn’t being thought of. Mr Kenny has recently shown a willingness to allow his appointed design teams produce innovative schemes such as that granted at St. Patrick’s Quay – hope that frame of mind amongst all Cork’s developments continues and successfully grows. The good news is that there are more high-rise and more interesting proposals afoot – and when I can info will be brought to you on them. 😉

Click thumbnails to enlarge images.

View of the Proposal from Sullivan’s Quay, looking West toward South Main Street Bridge.

View north-to-south down along South Main Street. Rear of Bishop Lucey Park may be seen on the left.

@Radioactiveman wrote:

Also, todays Examiner had an article by Tommy Barker detailing moves by Port of Cork to move its operations out of the Docklands and into the Ringaskiddy area of Cork Harbour.
In particular he mentions the cork bonded warehouse site and says there is currently a legal disput ongoing with regard to this site. Any body have further details?

The dispute regarded rights over the Cork Bonded Warehouses premises which is held by J.W. Green (along the Monahan Road) on a leasehold basis. The actually freehold is held by Port of Cork – the dispute has been a long one with Oakeridge Limited (not entirely sure on how they spell it!). However, the freehold was subject to negotiations with one of Cork’s better known developers and rumours of a sale have been discussed. The details are still shady at this early stage but preplanning discussions were believed to have already, in part, discussed.

@Radioactiveman wrote:

In the original frinailla post (#321 i think) you said ” should the appeal be favoured, it is my understanding the developers intend to begin work on City Square almost immediately”.

I took this to mean that the ABP reault to be announced in October had a bearing on when City Square was started.

Sorry if i’m getting the wrong end of the stick.

😉 No problem – I think what was meant was, the developers hope to get this scheme off the ground as soon as possible.

🙂 Cado Systems Ireland are to apply for the construction of a 3-storey, 4580sq m office building over basement car-park at their Bessboro Road site off the Skehard Road in Blackrock. The new building will feature new office units for business and technology uses and is situated close to an area of the city undergoing substantial redevelopment with MahonPoint not far away.

😎 Michael Drummond & Dan Carroll’s plans for Blarney Street have been rejected. The partners had employed architects Magee Creedon to design a 36-unit scheme with 17 houses, 9 apartments and 10 duplexes. However CCC ruled that the plan represented a gross overdevelopment of the site. A previous plan for the same site at and to the rear of 257 Blarney Street, albeit on a fractionally smaller site scale, was also refused for 32 residential units in 2003 for reasons similar to the above refusal.

🙂 Well with Frinailla’s Ladyswell (City Square) project now having seen it’s ABP decision due date pushed back until October 13th 2005 (as best I know) – the suburb of Blackpool and the developers themselves will have to spend another few weeks on their seat edges.

Frinailla originally applied for development on the Watercourse Road site back in 2003 – then, the proposal peaked at 9-storeys over basement parking with approx. 258 residential units, numerous commercial units (= 3379m sq), a Montessori School, resident gym, roof gardens etc. On Thursday 18th December 2003, the 3 seperate applications that comprised the overall project were all refused by CCC, even following revised submissions which involved residential unit and height reductions – subsequently an appeal to ABP was also refused. Scale, height, character, visual obtrusiveness and so on, were all among the reasons cited for refusal.

On the 19th November 2004, Frinailla reapplied with 2 applications for their Watercourse Road/Ladyswell sites. This time, the proposal centred about a 5-storey (peak) linked development over basement car-parking and community/commercial units. 153 residencies were proposed in this new scheme. Although the planner’s report recommended a further refusal, this decision was overturned – even though the planner, under instruction to outline conditions, imposed a further reduction in height and subsequent units. The conditions were appealed, and so was the project on a 3rd party basis, a move backed by a number of individuals including public representative Kathleen Lynch.

In my own opinion, the project represents an important step in Blackpool’s revitalisation – this area of Blackpool, along the Watercourse Road is in dire need of a revamp and is plagued by ill-maintained, derelict buildings. The Frinailla proposal seeks to breathe new life into the area with a strong community focus. Should the appeal be favoured, it is my understanding the developers intend to begin construction work on City Square almost immediately. Fingers crossed on the outcome – and I’ll do my best to keep you updated on any further developments regarding this project. Below find some images of the scheme – more available on request (if I can).

(Forgive me if I’ve left out any details but trying to explain each and every twist and turn would take forever and a very very long post!) 😉