lexington

@mickeydocs wrote:

Hey Lex, can you give us any more info on what we can expect on Kennedy quay?

Thanks in advance.

– Kennedy Quay area announcement (Spring 2005 – possibly later)

IAWS have drawn up plans for R&H Hall Weybridge Grain Silos on Kennedy Quay – to be honest, I don’t know which plan they intend to go with – although I was told of 2. Things may since have changed. I was also told that IAWS intend to make an announcement this year (either Spring or Summer – though you never know, it could be even later) regarding their plans for the site. One involves the sale of the site to a private developer, then using the capital gained to develop a new facility in the Cork Harbour area or further down the Port. The other envisions a joint development. Either way, the schedule of events will be extended – numerous moves will have to be made on the part of IAWS. Their intentions, I presume, would take course over a period of a few years. R&H Hall is a massive site – any private developer to take it on-board would have to be one or two of the big boys – or a collective of medium sized developers. The rewards however could be outstanding – but that depends on how the silos are utilised (whether they be redeveloped, or demolished to make way for new landmark structures). IAWS plans cater for both – but they are not the be-all, a third party may wish to pursue an alternate approach.

*UPDATES*

🙂 A city based developer has applied with CCC for the development of a 39-unit, 9-storey apartment building at the site of the quarry at Rockboro (next to the Temple Hill Cork Constitution rugby grounds) along the Boreenmanna Road in Blackrock. The building will comprise of a arrangement of apartment types, topped by a 2-storey 3 bedroom penthouse and extensive private roof-garden (grass, trees, hedges – the works!). The application came under the name Mary Collins. More soon.

Yup, but if the earlier drawings are anything to go by, some of these are incorporated into the project with relative taste. As for the others, well…

The highly anticipated and long awaited Mahon Point SC opens today – 1st Feb 2005.

75% of stores will be open at 10:30am, with Zara and Next opening by next Saturday. The 13-screen Omniplex will open along with the 1st Phase of the Retail Park in March (where B&Q, Hickeys and Tile King will be anchors). The 2nd Phase opens in August (with J&P among others). The Hilton Hotel, Industrial and Office Parks will follows thereafter.

@mickeydocs wrote:

8 = Water Street development, Cork Opera House facade, Cork School of Music

BTW, has there been any movement in relation to this or are the government waiting to roll this out during the by-election as they have done for the past two elections?

Has anyone heard of the possibility of a rail connection between Cork and Belfast, and Cork – Sligo???

German PPP and Construction group Hochtief are now in control of Jarvis’ PPP wing – it is re-evaluating Jarvis’ assets and project agenda. A decision was due this month (Jan) but nothing looks set now until at least the end of Feb, perhaps later. It is an utter disaster of a project which should have seen its reigns seized long-ago and re-tendered for immediate construction or funded full-stop by the Dept. of Education. An utter joke!

Cork – Belfast line? Cork – Sligo line? Highly unlikely – although there has been consideration for a Cork -> Limerick -> Galway line, something which I would very much support. It should help deentralised the rail network a little in what is an extremely incovenient and unbalanced network.

Here’s an inside view of the central atrium of the new Clarion Hotel on Lapps Quay as part of Howard Holdings’ new City Quarter development. The hotel will open its doors on Feb 11th while the new office development as part of the project will be completed come late March/early April.

🙂 O’Callaghan Properties have confirmed that they are scheduled to lodge their application for Academy Street/Emmet Place this Summer (2005) – a little earlier than originally planned, with construction hoped to be for October 2006. OCP have put this down to the fact that they are very happy with the way Mahon Point has progressed and continues to progress – the retail park (phase 1) is now let and all units at the Shopping Centre are filling up gradually (they have been since launch – however incidents such as the Clinton Cards fall, all provided temporary vacanies which were quickly filled). There now remains a backlog of international tenants, many of which OCP are hoping to see take up units at the Academy Street development. The 6-storey over dual-basement development will see a lower basement parking and goods delivery level, basement retail, ground floor retail, 1st floor retail, 2nd floor retail, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th floor residential. Bowen Construction will be contractors. The design team has been for the time being, asked, not to be revealed – but consists of a respected European-based firm (think Scandanavia) and a Dublin practice (who has worked with OCP on large retail projects before). The retail element will be strictly fashion.

– OCP satisfied with Mahon Point, will now be focussing their attention on the Jurys redevelopment and Academy Street projects (+ 1 other proposed ‘surprise’ – an enhanced retail aspect?). The Hilton Hotel, Office Development, Industrial Park and 2nd Phase Retail Park (scheduled for August 2005) will all proceed ahead at MP under the supervision from OCPs new Lavitts Quay HQ. The development company have lodged a 1st Party Appeal in contest to the CCC planning decision regarding its Jurys Hotel redevelopment – it claims the reductions made by the company in apartment numbers to satisfy planners and objectors was highly sufficient and the further reduction in planning conditions was unfair. I have to agree with them on this one. A substantial brief has been lodged contesting objectors from Sundays Well who argue the redevelopment would ‘destroy their children’s heritage’. I sincerely hope the project is greenlit the whole way.

A. At least 2 seperate developments envisaged – the design should be distinctive and of a high aesthetical quality.

B. The height of design fronting Kyrls Quay, should be significant enough to mask the existing Kyrls Quay multi-storey and shopping centre – but not over-dominating as to detract from other nearby buildings of important historical reference.

C. Full consideration for the development’s waterfront location should be incorporated.

D. It is preferred, though not obligatory, that the project be of a commercial and/or cultural nature – this is to reflect the history of the Cornmarket Street and Coal Quay areas as important historical trading areas, and to enhance the regeneration efforts which focus on the important, extended CCA (Core Commercial Area) and CCRA (City Centre Retail Area) nature of the area.

E. The project must consider an extension to the quayside road’s width for better traffic management in the area (but with a strategic view to pedestrian adjustment).

F. Public amenity capabilities must be incorporated into the design (e.g. boardwalks [favoured], green areas, timber decking etc)

G. It is preferred, though not obligatory, that any building designs facing the Kyrls Quay waterfront, avail of the curved nature of the quayside/river – within minimal ‘boxy’ features, and a greater emphasis on the sleek.

H. The project overall must be commercially attractive.

I. Consideration will be given to projects wishing to utilise the quay-wall area – where full consideration is given to pedestrian thoroughfares at ground level and sufficient traffic management (e.g. an arched form over quayside road and pathways) – however, the implications and riverside impacts must be documented and justified.

J. The waterfront building(s) should act, in conjunction with the new Shandon Bridge, as a landmark gateway into the renewed Cornmarket Street area – which should be viewed as a major and important commercial thoroughfare for Cork city centre. (I recommend noting the original ‘tower of light’ structure originally proposed as part of the Gate Multiplex building on North Gate Bridge. )

– Thats all I have for now, and they are in my own words, not listed details as I received them through talks with certain persons – but the hints were on those precise lines.

There was a post here but now its gone (to a land far away)

Speaking of Mark Kelleher’s large 92-unit development at Westend, Bishopstown – I availed of the opportunity provided to walk the development site with another gentleman. There is something eerie about the site – it resembles an accumulation of overgrown grass patches, briars, fencing, old sheds and hedges. It seems completely out of sync with the rest of the surrounding areas. I have seen the plans for the site, and personally I feel that the site and area could very much stand to benefit from the development. Many of the objections are exceptionally over-the-top, repetitive and quite frankly, stupid. Jerry Buttimer, local councillor, applauds the objectors for their use of ‘democracy’ by objecting, but there is nothing democratic about the same people lodging more than one objection under different guises – i.e. The Rise Residents Association, then a list of Rise Residents independently objecting, then different members of the same household objecting…that’s a little excessive, and to be honest, unfair. Although I do think the development is warranted – I completely agree with concerns relating to traffic management in the area. Yes, the area is heavily congested, the roads in the area handle in excess of 100,000 traffic movements per day and they are inadequately designed for such a volume. Some objectors have raised this point and it is completely valid – however, I would like to see the developer work with the residents and CCC on how best to combat this problem, perhaps by privately funding feeder road-upgrades as part of the development??? I also acknowledge that some areas of the development do mildly overlook 3 or 4 residencies, the developer could easily adjust this by ‘stepping’ the apartment block more carefully. I don’t have a problem with these valid points – it’s the stupid ones that bug me. Some objections are basically just saying, ‘I’m sick of high-rise’. I remind them, it’s 5-storeys, not 17.

-> Mahon Point SC (20m visitors p.a. expected – same as Liffey Valley)
-> Lodge Application for Academy Street mid-to-late 2005 (200,000sq ft of ‘fashion’ based retail – between 30 – 40 units over 6-storeys (+ basement) and with over 80 to 100 apartment units, 30,000sq ft of offices (?)) – OCP are promising something very special on this one. Let’s hope they deliver – early suggest, they MAY hit a high-note with a Danish design firm working with a Dublin-based practice – Project?
-> Begin construction (Bowen Construction again) on Academy Street late-2006.
-> Possible projects on the South Docklands?- We’ll just have to wait and see!
-> Development at Academy Street opens late-2007, early 2008.
-> Possible Mahon Point SC extension (further 150,000 to 200,000sq ft to the northern elevation).

The above is just a whimsical representation to some of OCP’s proposed plans, nothing in stone. Don’t take it too seriously. However, the time-frame for Academy Street has been laid out by OCP already, as well as the Mahon Point SC extension – which is already in pre-planning. Dirk Luow of Project Architects has already assessed this option. The centre was designed to accommodate such an extension.

-> OCP are to relocate to their new HQ at 21 Lavitts Quay come April/Summer 2005. They are currently based in temporary facilities (a series of interconnecting cabins) on the Mahon Point lands at Ballinure, Mahon. Once relocated, the land for a new Hilton Hotel and Leisure Centre will be freed up. Construction on the 200-bedroom hotel is planned to be complete by late 2006/early 2007?. The technology and business parks (once planned long ago for Horgan’s Quay) and up to 100,000sq ft of office space are due to be complete for 2008.

-> As for the 6,000-seat convention/event centre, though scepticism remains over this project, with a project development cost of 30m euro, I have been informed that, since mid-2004, a series of construction options have been discussed with between the design team, construction team and a number of Irish, UK and US consultants with regards reducing construction costs and availing of new strategies to provide a less expensive build, hopefully making the centre more viable. Though it is highly publicised, the logistics of the project still don’t add up, I suspect that the project may not be realised – although this latest information is curious.

😀 You’ve a beautiful way with words d_d_dallas! 😉

I have to agree with Torquemada – even the idea of axing the air-bridges for the Cork Aiport Terminal development is an utter outrage and is not short of disgusting! Anyone who regularly uses the airport, especially business travellers, the elderly and families with you children will tell you that having to run across a mile of concrete in rainy or stormy weather just to board an aircraft in this day and age at the airport is disgraceful – especially given Cork Airport’s geography. Unlike Dublin where buses are provided or the aircraft is simply a few steps away (like at Pier A) – to board an aircraft at Cork usually requires a hefty hike.

For a project that is costing in the region of 156m euros (16m euros over-bidget so far) – to axe the air-bridges (among the most central aspects behind the development) and the removal of the covered walkway between the new multi-storey and terminal is inexcusable. If the DAA (who still control the purse strings for the time being) need to penny pinch like that – there are a million and one other options available. Removing the air-bridges will reduce the project costs by only 1.3m euros. Bigger savings can be made elsewhere – incl. Shannon. If the air-bridges don’t arrive with this development – it will be many years, if at all, before they ever do. I would call on the people and business leaders of Cork to stand-up to this – what is in effect, yet again, another blatant side-lining of development from Cork by the Government. Furthermore, Cork Airport now carries more passengers p.a. than Shannon, and will exceed its passenger volume by up to 500,000 this year (according to CAA projections). It’s all well and good to promise this and that – or even provide an element of finance so far – but when you make a promise you must keep to it and see it through. An utter disgrace.