urbanisto
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Its a bad decision alright. The Bus Gate has been a great help in getting in and out of teh city at rush hour for cyclists and bus passengers. It has to be said that it is a pain in the arse driving in Dublin City Centre and I am not sure that the streets are being used to their best ability. One way systems are frustrating and sometimes illogical. The Macken Street bridge will help aleviate tratffic on Pearse Street when it opens. I think the loss of the bus gate (even temporarily and evenings only) is a retrograde step.
Shame to lose this thread….
I noticed the detailing on the new heritage lamp erected on the island at College Green as part of the recent bus gate “improvements”. It has the Dublin 1988 logo on it…its obviously a reused lampstandard from “prejuvenated” O’Connell Street. It probably suits the spot but could something have been done about the ugly industrial park lighting in front of Trinity and along Grafton Street as well?
@PVC King wrote:
No surprise that Hawkins House emerged as the winner however it is clear that Hawkins House can’t be taken in isolation it is the middle block of the gang of three comprising College House and Apollo House.
On reflection one is surprised that no proposal was made to redevelp all three during the boom years as it is clear that Grade A office space worth a lot more could have been delivered.
With Grade A space likely to become scarce in 2012 due to the fall off in activity and occupiers moving from Grade B to Grade A space on lease expiry; lets hope that a plan with vision emerges. I’d not like to be holding any of these post lease expiry which I understand some of which occur around 2014 or so unless one had a vision
The big problem with this site is not that there was no demand but that all three buildings are in State ownership – DoHC, DSFA and An Post. The saga of relocating the DoHC shows how slow the State has been in realising what could have been a profitable asset.
Happy Arthur’s Day everyone! Lets celebrate the wonderful contribution of the Guinness family to Dublin by getting pissed on Diageo and throwing more shit into the markets!
I think the Children’s Court is a problem here. Too much space to hang around in before/after hearings.
I also think the area needs more apartments and more of a family focus.
These large preipheral squares rarely work successfully in my opinion. It just too difficult to create enough activity outside city centre.I dont think its anything to do with sightlines and trees. It would seem to me its more to do with jumping lights or perhaps incorrect phasing of light with too short an interval between when one set goes red and another green.
I agree with tommyt, Smithfield Resi…the horse fair is a sham. Its a disgrace to allow it to continue because of some legal nicety. 1,000 years of history or not. If its necessary to continue a horsefair then it should be at a proper modern facility, just like a mart. And why on earth is it needed in the centre of a city! I cant imagine any tourists being interested in seeing 11 y/o boys being sold malnourised, poorly treated horses.
On the issue of the plans to finsih the square… I totally agree that €4m is a big budget. I would be interesrted to see the plans as well and I imagine a public consultation will take place. Another big site not to be forgotten is the triangular site bounded by Church Street and the Square. What is the story with this site?
Recently granted permission to demolish the derelict structures on the site and contineu seemingly endless archaeological excavations.
link hereAlso what about this horsemarket lark….cant they pass a Byelaw to prohibit the market. Or request an Act of the Oireachtas. There must be some way to extingush the market right.
From today’s Irish Times….
DUBLIN CITY Council is to undertake a multimillion euro project to finally complete Smithfield Plaza, 10 years after it was originally constructed.
However, it said there are no funds for the planned relocation of Smithfield horse fair.
The large open plaza was built in 1999 at a cost of £3.5 million as the centre piece of the regeneration of the run-down northwest inner city area. However, the southern end of the plaza, through which the Luas line now runs, was never finished and remains a jumble of concrete, tarmac and cobblestones. The plaza has been vastly under-utilised, and is probably best known for its annual ice-skating rink and the monthly horse market, which has been condemned by the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA).The council is seeking about €2 million in EU funding, which will be matched by council funds, for the project which it hopes to complete by December 2010. It will be completed at a later date if EU funding is not forthcoming.
In addition to finishing the plaza it intends to provide water, drainage and power facilities on the existing space to support events and markets. It also plans to plant trees and other greenery and to provide children’s amenities on the space.
The Smithfield horse market drew attention last Sunday after an injured horse was sold to an 11-year-old boy for €8. The DSPCA has said the sale of neglected and sick animals at the market is endemic and the organisation has campaigned for the closure of the market for several years.
The council has also long sought the removal of the fair, but has been blocked by an ancient market right of horse traders to hold their sales on the land. The council did temporarily ban the fair in 2002 after a horse bolted and ran on to the quays, where it crashed into a car occupied by a woman and a child. However, the traders returned to the plaza, citing their market right.
The council has received legal advice that it could only close the fair, and extinguish the market right, if it provided a suitable alternative site. It had identified a site in the Ballymun/Finglas area, which it had begun assessing early last year. It now emerges that the council has to abandon plans for this site because of a lack of funds.
“We would have required capital funding to acquire the site, to construct the facilities, and to build things like running areas and car parking, and we would have needed funding to run the site, and in the current climate it couldn’t be done,†Charlie Lowe, manager of the central area of the city, said.
The council was still determined to remove the fair from Smithfield and was now seeking an “alternative legal remedy†for extinguishing the market right.
“The whole thing is a complete mess, but it was the local authority that allowed the market right all those years ago and it behoves the local authority to come up with a remedy… It’s on our desk and we have to deal with it.â€
In the meantime, the council intends to press ahead with the completion of the plaza between Haymarket and Aran Street West and the improvement of the current facilities of the plaza.
Two words…… AT LAST!
I was amazed to see the concrete kerbing. Its so cheap! Given the price tag some nice soft limestone or granite would have been expected. And no lightiing. No imagination. Just a rather large bill.
For the life of me I dont understand the problem with enforcement in this country…all the powers are there but no one uses them.
The actually shofront for the Spar isnt that bad really. the ourdoor seating (under licence) wouldnt be that bad if it looked a little less tacky. I agree about the assorted add-on signs and posters though. And as usual hideous floor lighting…I bet its bright white at night.
