Spinal Tap

24 July 2007

Howard Holdings wins city approval for event centre

By Eoin English
CORK CITY COUNCIL voted after an hour of secret talks last night to plough over €8 million of public money into Howard Holdings’ plans to build a €33 million conference centre in the docklands.
Councillors were asked to back a report from city manager Joe Gavin which recommended they support the company’s proposal, selected by a special city committee, to build the multi-purpose venue. However, they were unhappy with the amount of information they were given beforehand and they cleared City Hall’s public gallery. The media was also asked to leave.
They then quizzed Mr Gavin for an hour-and-a-half on the process which led to the selection of the Howard Holdings proposal, and on the details of the project, before resuming the public meeting just before 7.30pm.
Then, without discussion, councillors voted 19 to seven to accept the report.
It clears the way for Howard Holdings to submit a detailed planning application for the site it owns and which hosted the Live at the Marquee series over the last two years. It is understood the application could be with planners within weeks.
Subject to planning, the company hopes to have the venue open in September 2009. The three-storey glass-fronted building has been designed to cater for:
6,000-plus performances, including 1,150 seated;
seated concerts of up to 4,200;
conferences of up to 2,000;
gala balls of up to 800 diners.
However, the venue could also be configured into smaller modules to host smaller events ranging from 400 to 1,500 capacity. It will be linked directly to a 200-bedroom hotel with a 1,000-seat banqueting hall, and a 1,000-space car park.
Last night’s vote followed a public invitation from Mr Gavin last April for submissions from the private sector to provide a suitable site, design, build, fund and manage an event centre.
Four submissions were received — the Howard Holdings proposal; one from Medaza, who wanted to build the venue at the Showgrounds; Ascon, who wanted to build on a site at Black Ash; and the Hyde Partnership who wanted to build on the Atkins site at the Carrigrohane Road.
An assessment board of senior city officials examined the proposals and recommended the Howard Holdings project.
Fianna Fáil councillor Tom O’Driscoll welcomed the outcome of the vote.
“This has been long awaited. It will do a lot for Cork, making it a year-round destination.”
Fine Gael’s Joe O’Callaghan said the city has been crying out for such a venue for decades.
Socialist Mick Barry said he voted against the “hand-out to a big business concern” to highlight the fact the private sector has until now refused to provide the city with such a venue.

Sinn Féin’s Jonathon O’Brien criticised the lack of public debate on the proposal.

Looks like it just might happen for Cork in 2009.

No wonder the Socialists & Sinn Fein get rattled at the General Elections……

@Pug wrote:

at last!! – venue and conference centre much needed – i’m curious to see what it will be like now – i am assuming of course that if there is seats for 4200, there is stnading room for another 4,000. I dont know of many concerts such as those that were held in the Marquee that people would sit down for – cant see people politely clapping along to Slayer in their seats

I still am not sure why a concert venue cant be worked in with a complete revamp of Pairc Ui Chaoimh – i’d rather sink the 8.25 million into that

In todays Irish Examiner it is stated that the adaptable venue will cater for :-

6,000 plus live venue which includes 1,150 seated.

Seated concert venue fro 4,200.

Conference venue for 2,000.

+ suitable for smaller events,banqueting hall for 1,000 and parking for 1,000 spaces.

Of course the City Council will meet 25% of its cost.

@Pug wrote:

have been in germany looking at property and all the building thats currently going on , bringing the old east germany type buildings to former west germany standards, there is usually a huge poster/banner type thing, sometimes the size of the building, showing what its going to be like when finished – some developments do have posters up around Cork to be fair – its just they might say something like “Development until 2007” and the building hasnt even started

The Cornmarket St.S.C. has a banner which states that they will be open Autumn 2007 – not a hope I’d say on one of the slowest building sites I have ever come across.

@d_d_dallas wrote:

This “gateway” crap is pointless. Who cares if some motorist get’s a bit of a thrill when it’s at the cost of an established view in the city core.

The view is obviously established but City Core it is not.

Mostly housing off Wellington Road etc.

Its a great “start” to the city and the future docklands etc.

Cork people seem to think that they are all entitled to a view of St.Finbarrs,St.Lukes,Shandon etc forever for some reason ?

@carrigdhoun wrote:

I think it is 5 to 8 stories, with 5 stories fronting onto the Carrigrohane rd and 8 stories at the back of the site. Our “sustainable Development” friends have already confirmed that they will be objecting to the height of the development. I ask you, out the straight road, beside the county hall, with no housing estates around it. If you can’t build 8 stories there where can you build them?

Remember losing general election election canditate and CSD quango opportunist Jerry Buttimer is “Against High rise development and Urban Sprawl”

@who_me wrote:

And if Tivoli is residential, will it be a designated ‘high rise’ area?

Yes in Cork thats a maximum Height of 3-Stories !

@PTB wrote:

Like jungle said above ridership goes up dramatically with trams. They’re much more stylish, effent and quiet. They dont seem as proletarian as busses. Its like comparing horses to cows:

Horses: Seemingly intelligent and wise]Cows:[/B] They look thick; Not very good over distance or jumps; Whatever the opposite of elegant and noble is.

Likewise:

Trams: Shiny, sleek, glide along the ground. Used by wealthy people
Busses: Shiny (after they’ve been cleaned,) boxy looking, tend to get off to a stuttery start before braking at the next set of traffic lights. Not used by wealthy people as much.

Scientists in their intellectual circles of thought have equated the proximity of the side skirts of a vehicle with the percieved beauty of a vehicle. Busses have a good foot between themselves and the ground. Trams seem to go right down to the ground. Another reason to love the tram. See, people are more inclined to like beautiful things. Ever wondered why Colm Meany never became as big a star as Tom Cruise after ‘Far and Away’? Its because Colm Meany looks like a cabbage (Although to be fair he got a Golden Globe nomination for The Snapper.) No-one would go to the Glucksman if it looked like a factory. No-one goes on holiday in Essen because it’s an industrial hole. No-one is sexually attracted to Jade Goody. Have I made my point?

*** POST OF THE YEAR ***

It reminds me of the Cork band Microdisney – “Only Losers take the Bus”

@kite wrote:

Frinailla and Firestone Developments are at it again.
Following both receiving planning for the Dennehy’s Cross and Eden sites respectively, they have yet again applied for “modifications” to their proposals.
It was brought up before on this thread and I will repeat it again, this type of planning application should incur a fee of at least 100,000 euro to ensure applicants / architects get it right first time.
Multiple applications indicate that the original proposal was flawed and justifies the existence of anti apartment groups such as CSD

Applicants are well within their rights in applying for amendments to previously granted planning applications

A fee of 100,000 Euro is ridiculous and circumstances like market environments change during the long ardous planning process which could take up to 3 years in certain areas – its not like they are applying for radically different uses etc or a completly different scheme – remember thats why drawings are produced rather than build something which the market/planners/local cranks does not require.

The city where 3-storey buildings is described as high rise is nonsense.

I recently viewed a planning file for an application for a small 3-storey scheme in Rushbrooke where all the residents wrote in submissions against “Manhattan” type developments in their area.

Nonsense.

@rebel_city wrote:

I heard Sligo being referred to as ‘Sligo City’ last week on the radio! I laughed. – Has nothing to do with the title of this thread, but just continuing on from previous comments.

I heard the same and laughed.

By their criteria Midleton will be a city soon.

@PTB wrote:

I remember people suggesting that a tram go down Patricks street. Surely that is impossible given the extremely acute bend at Daunt square?

Cork had an extensive Tram and Light Rail system before in the city centre in the 19th & 20th century.

Should not be a problem in the 21st.