lexington
Forum Replies Created
- Posts
🙂 Howard Holdings have earmarked mid-April for a commencement of construction at Albert House (along Albert Quay) of the new 4-storey (5-storey if you include the apex) WebWorks Business & Technology incubation centre. The building is designed by Scott Tallon Walker and will be constructed by PJ Hegarty & Sons Ltd. The building is a joint venture between Howard Holdings, Cork City Council (who donated the site) and Enterprise Ireland and will be located in Cork’s newest and fastest growing office district. The development will first dismantle the former railway station platform to the rear of Albert House ( 🙁 which I believe is really a great shame as I see it as a true reflection of Cork history – rather than the rubbish some individuals and organisations find justified in objecting too), the excavation of the site, provision of basement car-parking (66 spaces) and then primary construction of the building overhead. The new development will be linked to Albert House, which will see its upper floors converted to office use and ground-floor area utilised as a new restaurant.
🙂 Next-door along Albert Quay, the Doyle Family Group have agreed terms of sale (apparently) through DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald) for their Cork Warehousing Co. warehouse on a prime corner location between Albert Quay and Albert Road. The site is flanked by the Howard Holdings WebWorks development to its west and O’Flynn Construction’s massive Eglinton Street development to its south. Although I can’t name the prime suspects at this point, one of them claims that they will, if successful, seek to purchase the small warehousing block between the Doyle warehouse and Albert House first before proceeding with any development – as they wish to maximise available space and provide a sense of continuity to the quay and their development. A mixed-use office and retail development of approx. 7-storeys over basement car-park is envisioned by one of the developers in the running. Agreement was reached based on rates of approx. 7 to 7.5m euros (apparently), its original guide price was 5m euros. However I can tell you now, I would be most surprised if the final sale price exceeds 7m euros. My understanding is, it won’t – contrary to some newspaper articles.
🙂 Another development scheduled for April is that of Victoria Station by Aras Developments. As reported here a few posts back, the site gained planning for a 24-unit Student Apartment development over medical services facility (all units have been pre-let or sold) and parking (1/2 of all spaces available have also been pre-sold) by former site owner Justin Canty. The design of the development was devised by consulting engineers O’Shea Leader and consists of a 4/5-storey building with roof-top gardens. Mr. McNamara of Aras Developments acquired the site via Global Properties (who will be sole selling agents) from Irish & European for approx. 2m euros.
🙂 Just across the road, at the former Plumbing Utilities store, also acquired by Global Properties, this time for Frinailla Developments, is to soon seen planning sought by the development company for a medium-sized residential development, over commercial units.– Frinailla’s other big development is planned for the Dennehy’s Garage site just up the road at Dennehy’s Cross. The developers purchased the site for approx. 20m euros early in Feburary – the site is in 2 lots, one at the south-western side of the cross junction (the showrooms), the other is at the norther-eastern corner (the garage and service yards – with the excpetion of the Dennehy’s Bar). Frinailla have also bought up surrounding properties. They plan a large luxury residential development with local service facilities incorporated – incl. post office, hmmm).
@Rockflanders wrote:
your analogy above seems to be referring to a competition. (If we win, I’ll pay you)
Depending on the project, I will strike an accord with the architect involved where a basic fee is alloted to them for the design work, with a subsequent ‘bonus’ or ‘fuller fee’ is provided on successful grant of planning. If I win, I pay. 😀
It’s a funny aspect of the Irish psyche – it’s almost like a ‘I want everything’ attitude. We want all this new input and yet we don’t seem to show a care for the established until it’s threatened or gone. Of course then we protest. It reminds me in some ways how in 1997 after Princess Diana was killed in Paris, the public were screaming for the heads of the paparazzi and yet they were then the very same people that went out buying the tabloid magazines and papers that printed the pictures taken by the so-called ‘enemy’.
😮 Following the news that Starbucks will have its first stand-alone unit in Dublin city centre opening in the near future – I can also tell you that the Seattle-based coffee chain have also assessed 3 possible units in Cork city centre (where Gloria Jeans is the main coffee-specialist chain existing at the present) for their first store in the city. 2 of the units are on or along near Patrick’s Street and 1 is supposedly located on one of the side-streets off the main thoroughfaure (Princes Street[?]). However, other suitable units are still be weighed up. When open, the unit will create up to 20 jobs and should heat up the competition nicely. No confirmation or specific date has been allocated for the time being however,
@Radioactiveman wrote:Lexington,
I believe for once you’re wrong (shocking I know 🙂 ). The two buildings which are for sale on Shandon Street are next to the two buildings for which the CPO has been issued.
Infairness, I could have the numbers wrong so will recheck them for you.Fair enough, I was thinking it would have been a little weird for those 2 buildings to be up for a CPO so soon after the sale sign went up – I heard about that CPO but hadn’t looked into it, but hey, only 1 number off in each case. I think all 4 of those buildings are hideously neglected.
Huh! Such a thought! 😉
This image makes the brick to be far darker than it is in reality. To be honest with you – it brightens up the quay for what it is, but it’s pretty ordinary by most standards. I wouldn’t be out to praise it too fast – however, anyone who has seen this building next to Camden Court (by OSB Group, designed by James Leahy & Associates, constructed by John Supple Contractors Ltd) will have to admit they work well together, even if Camden Court is far more imaginative – on that note, Phase 2 of Camden Court is to proceed within the next few weeks with initial demolition work first.
🙂 John (Jack!) Hornibrook/Hornibrook Holdings 58-unit residential development over basement car-park and retail and restaurant units along Carrolls Quay and Camden Quay is coming to completion. The project was one of the first to get going in the rejuvenation of this area but has been snagged with numerous construction problems along the way. The project has been on site for near on 2 years w/ PJ Hegarty & Sons Ltd as the main contractor. Deisgn is by J.E. Keating and Associates – also the firm behind East Douglas Village and Seanna Mhuilleann along the Blackpool By-pass (see post a few pages back for image). Here’s a look at the final design – it’s a whopper of an image so forgiveness please!
😉 I’ve been told that the tenders received for the Doyle Family warehousing along Albert Quay (across the river from City Quarter and No.5 & 6 Lapps Quay – and adjacent to the Eglinton Street and WebWorks development) ranged from between 5 and 7.5m euros for approx. 14 offers. DTZ Sherry FitzGerald secretly have pretty much closed the deal – but it has not been made public or officiated yet. I am aware that Howard Holdings, O’Flynn Construction & apparently O’Brien & O’Flynn (oddly!) were among the initial bidders – however I haven’t managed to find out the final successful bidder. But I am looking into it. The development potential for this excellently located site is sky-high – although the chances are that it will go the office route in line with the rest of the area (which has become Cork’s most sought after office district).
– it was interesting to see the Evening Echo led with the McCarthy Developments’ 100,000sq ft, 8-storey office development for Centre Park Road (as mentioned last week on this thread) – the article quotes Tom McCarthy apparently indicating the 25m euro MOLA designed project could create up to 1,000 jobs. I wonder.
@Radioactiveman wrote:CCC have applied a Compulsory Purchase Order to no.’s 67-68 Shandon Street. They’re the two buildings immediately to the right of O’Connors Bros. Funeral Home as you look from the Gate Cinema.
Funny, they just came on the market with Christy’s sibling, Andy Moore handling joint sale. Agreed though, they’re an eyesore. That’s a problem with Cork, it has all these derelict buildings but 95% of them are all protected and CCC won’t let a finger touch them. Then it gives out about them being derelict. Cork logic.
Just on a point of information – the Gaitey Complex proposed by Joe O’Reilly will not be proceeding as indicated by the Irish Times article. It is now revised at 3-levels, not 5, and will incorporated 4 penthouse apartments as oppose to the original 6. Design by A&D Wejchert. Sisk look set to be main contractors.
@Radioactiveman wrote:
Does anyone know who BCG architects are?
Do they have a website address?Regarding the AIB Blackpool application? BCG = Building Consultancy Group – they of the Ballymun SC.
Building Consultancy Group
9F Eastgate Ave, Eastgate Business Park,
Little Island, Co. Cork.
Tel: 021 4524824 Fax: 021 4524824
Email: info@buidingconsultancygroup.comBuilding Consultancy Group (BCG)
No. 16 St. Stephen’s Green,
Dublin 2
Tel: 01703 8256
Fax: 01 703 8083
http://www.buildingconsultancygroup.com😀 1 month before the extended decision due date – Michael Hannigan of the Kino Art Cinema on Washington Street has been given the go-ahead to demolish the existing cinema and construct a 4-storey, 3 cinema and cafe development, designed by Dennehy Designs.
The development is attractive in its design and will add significantly not only to Washington Street’s architecture, but also its culture. A positive step.
See the design at http://www.ddesign.ie Under Projects, and 3rd selection under ‘Community’.
This is just an extract of an e-mail I was sent by Sean Kearns, chief-architect with Murray O’Laoire, for the Water Street project.
“…the application was lodged on the 28th February and it is now reduced from 304 apartments from 400. the Tower has changed location from the west side to the east side of the plaza and is 18 stories high. The buidings have been set back from the neighbouring properties and stepped back to allow for greater dalight and sunlight penetration for these properties and the development itself. There is a signicant increase in public open space and the 10 m quayside promenade is provided without cantilevered sections over.
We responded to all of the concerns raised by the planning Authority and ad(d)ressed them in turn resulting in a 25% reduction in the scheme.
This however, does not mean that they will accept it now and we are sure that they are trying to find other impediments to granting permission as we speak.“
It’s that last comment that troubles me – no planner has been publicly assigned to the application yet. I believe it will probably be a toss-up between Evelyn Mitchell or Ronnie McDowell (if he decides to take on more applications again after his break from doing so). If CCC are foolish enough to botch this project up, they really should be taken outside and repeatedly trashed with a wet fish! One by one. :rolleyes:
@Radioactiveman wrote:
Wow, the images of Horgan’s Quay look great (understandably a bit vague, but it just shows the sheer opportunity there is on site!). I suppose some of us might even live to see something happen there 🙂
The shopping centre in Douglas is very depressing. It reminds me of a fancy shoe box. Most of that structure appears to be carpark. Pretty soon all of Douglas will be either shopping centre or carpark attached to shopping centre. What an exciting prospect for the people of Douglas 🙁
p.s. I think whoever did up those Horgan’s Quay images slightly overexaggerated the size of the Irish Navy 🙂The picture was taken in 1996 during the Maritime Celebrations in Cork – most of the vessels in the image are foreign. God, Haulbowline wishes that was the Navy!!!
This proposal was abandoned – it was forwarded by Wilson Architecture – and to be honest with you, in my opinion, is not particularly enticing. More can be done – the other proposals designed are a bit more interesting, a bit more risque is some cases. From what I have seen of those however, I still think an opportunity like Horgan’s Quay should be maximised to the full, let imagination and innovation run wild(!), the proposals produced do not do this.
@Pug wrote:
Be interesting to see if those apartments in douglas will add to the chaos that is the traffic situation there. Who designs these road systems?
Yeah I can’t see 11 apartments and 2 town-houses really adding to the Douglas traffic fiasco. The new Clayton Love developed 8-storey hotel may have more of a substantial impact. The proposed road as part of the 60m euro redeveloped Douglas Village S.C. by Canmount Investments (Clayton Love again) and designed by Wilson Architecture is a much need addition to traffic management in the suburb.
– redeveloped Shopping Centre proposal for Douglas VillageClayton Love was holding back on this development to assess the impact of Mahon Point S.C. nearby – however, traders at Douglas Court S.C. are reporting that MP has had little effect on business, as the majority of trade is local in and around Douglas, Rochestown, Passage West, Grange and Donnybrook etc.
Permission is in place for the redevelopment – perhaps this news will encourage Canmount to proceed with the shopping centre plans. However I am told that the hotel is for the time being, their priority, in Douglas.
@keeneye wrote:
has anyone got information & a copy of the plans/drawings for the train station/docklands area.. When is this development due to take place ?? I have the plans for the apartments been bult by Bride View Developments (where the old petrol station was) if any one would like a copy.. Seems to be tying in with the Siemans building with regards to Plate Glass as a visable feature.. Regards
Whoa! A lot of questions there – well, regarding the Horgan’s Quay docklands – the most movement we have seen on this front (the north docklands) has come from Werdna with the Water Street development which is currently in planning. However, CIE formed an agreement with Manor Park Homes way-back-when to develop a new residential and commercial quarter on the 17 available acres at Horgan’s Quay – based on plans devised by O’Mahony Pike Architects in Dublin. Commitments were made 7 years ago at this stage – but CIE have made failed promise after failed promise since. It’s disgraceful. Treasury Holdings were also brought on board at one stage, but their involvement is questionable at this stage thanks to CIE’s procrastination. 3 other Cork-based developers are rumoured to have been involved in some capacity at different stages – although one of those developers may no longer be as interested now that they recently acquired themselves a nice little docklands waterfront site east (cough cough). In addition to O’Mahony Pike, Wilson Architecture, 2 other Cork and 2 other Dublin firms were also involved in masterplans for the quay. If you look back through the thread you’ll see I posted a CG Image of one of these masterplans. Among the plans, 2 or 3 of these contained high-rise developments (one of which = had 3 buildings of 20, 25 and 20 storeys, in that order). The plans were to include as many as 5,000 new residential units over a commercial quarter, public plaza and redeveloped quayside with cafe stalls, boardwalks etc etc. The project wouuld be developed over 5 to 6 years. As part of the redevelopment, a new road infastructure and replensihed railway station were earmarked. Even though CIE Chairman John Lynch promised to redeveloped the train station this year, with completion due in 2007 at at a cost of 25m euro, note I said PROMISED, he has pulled out of this promise yet again. It is now said, CIE is not interested in developing Horgan’s Quay until after Kent Station has been redeveloped – but with no sign of that happening anytime soon – we could be waiting many years still. John Lynch recently said, believe it or not, “Cork is not a priority for CIE.” Well thats been made pretty clear.
– BrideView who purchased the former Unity Petrol Station along the Lower Glanmire Road for 600,000euros are using the F.P.P. that came therewith to develop apartments over a commercial unit in a 4-storey building. The development company has recently applied to extend the penthouse apartment.
– I like that Siemens building, developed by Jack Lynch – designed by Oppermann in Dublin.
It’s a nice deal indeed – but consider Mr. Woods land offer and the legal issue regarding Bula and his offer becomes a little bit more complicated. Nonetheless it would be a nice public amenity addition – I only hope it would be max’d to its full potential with increased tree cover, open green spaces (like Sheep’s Meadow in Central Park), water features, rentable horse treks etc etc. God knows the city needs green-space.
Regarding the Northern Ring Road for Cork – I’ve good word that the favoured route would see the NRA utilise the existing dual-carriageway slip-road off the Ballincollig By-Pass to round-about near the Carrigrohane Straight – then head off north via Kerry Pike to Monard and off then to a point passed Glanmire linking up with a rejuvenated N8 – which will in turn link up with the Jack Lynch Tunnel and South Ring as it already does. But we’ll see.
Pug – don’t know what location in Douglas you’re referring to. More detail???🙂 Aldi Developments (Ireland) Ltd have been granted permission for the construction of a ‘town centre’ addition development near the WestPark Hotel in Ballincollig (just off Main Street). The development will see a former, and quite derelict, warehouse demolished and the construction of an Aldi Discount Foodstore, with 12 additional retail units, over head offices and a number of apartments – on what will be an extensively landscaped site adjoining O’Flynn Construction’s 500m euro Ballincollig Town Centre development.
🙂 Great Southern Hotels Ltd have been granted permission for a 57-bedroom, 3 storey extension to their existing and highly popular Great Southern Hotel Cork Airport. The development is a vote of confidence for the rapidly expanding airport which will also see an additional hotel developed near the new terminal by Brooklyn Properties Ltd. This new hotel will house 137-bedrooms & 12 suites over basement car-park, a full conference centre, leisure centre with swimming pool, coack-parking and extensive landscaping. The project is currently in Further Information with Cork County Council.Just by way of interest – here are a few names that have passed by Rockfell Investments Cornmarket Street Retail Development – only Habitat has been confirmed as is, but other names involved (though not certainties) are: Habitat, Dixons, H&M, Boots (they’re seeking a store similar in size to their Liffey Valley outlet for the city centre) & Esprit.
Just interesting to note the type of tenants expected.
Construction has been pushed back and is not set to begin now until mid-April.
Something interesting things are scheduled to happen over the coming years on the Cork city centre retail scene, not least the many new retail developments – but even things like retail space availabilities, for example:Depending, if Boots successfully gain their space at the Cornmarket Street development, they intend to vacate their current Patrick’s Street premises near Mothercare – freeing up an attractive main street location for prospective retaillers.
Also the Inditex stores of Zara, Pull&Bear, Bershka and Massi Dutti all have their names down for Academy Street with a preference for side-by-side units. Pull&Bear say however they still intend to keep their Roches Stores concession on Patrick’s Street.
New Look also have their name in waiting for a unit at Academy Street – they’re seeking a city centre store to complement their 2 existing suburban stores at Wilton and Blackpool S.C.
The prospect of a rejuvenation of Merchants Quay S.C. means the city centre is due for a windfall of prospective retail developments incl. Cornmarket Street, Academy Street and possibly Grand Parade (Capitol Cineplex, among others).
🙂 McCarthy Developments Ltd will also be sponsoring and arranging the Cork 2005 Live in the Marquee concert ‘extravaganza’ at the Showgrounds – the development company, who is very aggressively upping the ante on it’s development initiatives in Cork (note their additions to Jacob’s Island, Harty’s Quay, Centre Park Road office development + at least 2 other pre-planning large-scale city developments), will in conjunction w/ Aiken Promotions bring the likes of artists like Christy Moore, Brian McFadden, Ronan Keating, Tommy Tiernan, Van Morrisson and others over a number of dates in July to Cork in a large, temporary marquee erected on the famed Munster Agricultural Showgrounds near the Docklands.Today I received an EIS, VIS, Design Outline and Proposal Details in full regarding the revised Water Street development by Werdna, designed by Murray O’Laoire. I’ve read through the development thoroughly, besides the fact that the application is presented excellently – I have to say, though my first preference would be with the original application, this revised proposal is still really good stuff. Even assessing the VIS, one can see how valuably the development would contribute to the docklands and Cork city as a whole. Approaching the development from Dunkettle and along the Lower Glanmire Road, the development looks nothing short of eye-catching. I should sincerely hope the project gets the greenlight unequivocally.
Unfortunately, for the time being, I have been asked that no VIS graphics be displayed on this forum. So this will be respected for the moment.
@dowlingm wrote:Is the “Water Street” development where the builders supply yard and Harbour Commissioners area used to be – i.e. across Water Street from Horgan’s Quay?
Indeed it is. The development will construct a public quayside amenity facility as part of the whole package.
*UPDATES*😡 I can’t get my head around Cork City Council’s Planning Department lately – some of its decisions have been nothing short of utterly pathetic and disgraceful.
Note the decision made today by CCC regarding O’Shea Builders Ltd plans to redevelop its former storage site on Farranlea Road near Victoria Cross. The development originally proposed the following:
demolition of existng single storey workshop & adjoining store & construct a mixed res. development of 86 dwlngs comprising 28 1-bed apts, 44 2-bed apts, 6 3-bed penthouse apts, 6 3-bed duplexes & 2 4-bed duplexes & associated site development works. Blocks A,B & C located towards the northern side of the site to be linked bldgs 5 storeys high over a basement carpark & to contain 54 apts. Block D located on the western side of the site & to be a 4 storey high bldg over the basement carpark & contain 16 apts. Block E located on the eastern side of the site will be three storey high & contain 6 ground floor apts & 6 duplex apts over; Block F located on the n-western side of the site & to be a 3 storey high bldg containing 2 apts on the ground floor & 2 duplex apts over; a basement car park containing 80 spaces; surface parking for 33 cars,cycle store,2 bin stores,site road,paths & landscaping, a 2.4m high palisade fencing to part of the eastern boundary a new low masonry wall with railings. Designed by RKD McCarthy Lynch.
Now, I accept the scale of the development – it pretty much falls in line with a number of recent surrounding projects in the area. I would have accepted certain adjustments indeed – but instead, CCC, after requesting Further Info and seeing a developer proposed reduction of approx 6 units to comply with CCC demands – CCC then decided to eliminate certain blocks and aspects of the development to reduced the development by a further 20 units. The project has been dramatically scaled back to the point of questionable viability – so say O’Sheas. An appeal will undoubtedly follow. These decisions were made despite 7 months of pre-planning negotations with planners.
– another irritating CCC decision regards the Custom House Street elevation of the City Quarter office block on Lapps Quay by Howard Holdings and designed by STW. If anyone who looks up at the 2 upper ‘set-back’ floors can see, the stupid CCC imposed condition has mutated the building at the elevation into an uneven and imbalanced farse. And for what cause? Overshadowing? Where??? Excessive height? With respect to what??? The width of the street ensures a sizeable gap and vacancy between the development and Custom House. It’s a pointless alteration by a cocky planning department who don’t seem to know a good thing when they see it. But it’s stupid me ranting on in this mood – just take a look at the building for yourself at this elevation and cringe.
