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THE GREEN LIGHT has been given for the demolition of both Apollo House and Hawkins House as part of a new €50 million development for Dublin city centre.
An Bord Pleanála granted permission for the redevelopment of the two buildings despite opposition from the managers of the nearby Cork Exchange apartment complex and developer Balark Investments, which owns the Screen Cinema and College House buildings.
Late last year, the focus on the homeless crisis centred on Apollo House after it was occupied by housing activists and the homeless in a ‘direct action’ move fronted by singer Glen Hansard and movie director Jim Sheridan.
The Nama-appointed receiver to Cuprum Properties, Mazars, has now secured planning permission to demolish and redevelop the 1960s office block. The building is to be replaced by an 11-storey office.
The Office of Public Works is the applicant for the redevelopment of the adjacent Hawkins House, which has long been regarded as one of the capital’s ugliest buildings.
The building, occupied by Department of Health officials, will be replaced with a new 10-storey complex.
The joint plan to build a new office ‘quarter’, along with shops, restaurants, a public plaza, and a new diagonal pedestrian street, will be one of the largest redevelopment projects in the city centre in recent times.
In giving the projects the go-ahead, An Bord Pleanála said that the Hawkins House location is one of three ‘key’ sites within the area to be converted into a new ’mid-town’ area of Dublin.
The appeals board said that the proposed developments would integrate satisfactorily with existing developments and the established character of the historic city centre.
It added that the proposed developments “would not seriously injure the amenities of residential development in the area by reason of overbearing impact, overlooking or overshadowing and would be acceptable in terms of public and private transport and pedestrian safety and convenience”.
Concerns
In their objection against the redevelopment of Apollo House, Corn Exchange residents stated that the new building by way of its size, scale and design does not represent a worthy replacement to the existing building.
Cuprum’s consultants, Brady Shipman Martin, reduced the height of the new block by one floor in response, while they also included an image to show the new building would be significantly smaller than the nearby Liberty Hall and Google’s Montevetro base.
The consultants told the city council that “the redevelopment of Apollo House represents a significant opportunity in the revitalisation of not only this city block, but a strategic positive contribution in the urban environment of the city centre”.
In their opposition against the plan, Balark stated that the three key site locations of their own land bank, Hawkins House and Apollo House should be redeveloped together.
The objection said that the piecemeal approach to the redevelopment of the city block has resulted in a number of inefficiencies and challenges.
The objection stated that without the integrated approach for the three sites, “there is a strong possibility that the existing situation will be repeated with three individual buildings developed with connectivity or inter-relationship”.
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Closed comments on the sulky race story. That’s the journal and pavee point quiet on the issue.
@Andrew H: big mouth John Connors had a lot to say recently. Surely he’ll have some insight?
@Andrew H: but it’s their culture. Their ethnicity allows them to break the laws that the rest of us would be fecked into jail for. When will this stop? When some judges child is injured or worse?? Is that what our judicial system is waiting for??
@Andrew H: Well the guards are investigating – emmm there are numbers plates and cameras on that road any of the cars driving along with people hanging out of them should be at least questioned – that would be a start!
@Goban Saor: As much as I disagree with Connors on many things, he’s fairly vocal in his disdain for the crowd from Pavee Pointless
@Andrew H: They asked for a comment but the participants were sulking.
Anyway it’s racist to ask about the sulky race.
ISPCA shocked and appalled and that’s the last we’ll hear of it! Must be great living with impunity outside the law and completely untouchable, tiz a great country once your not a law abiding citizen!!
Looking forward to seeing Leo and Meholes faces. Refusing to talk to the party who got the most votes isn’t going down well with voters.
@The Risen:
‘Meholes’, I guess that sums up your intellect on the matter.
@The Risen: You consistently let yourself down with that type of language.
@The Risen: I would’ve to see your face in a few weeks when Mehole is made Taoiseach
@iohanx: Its a well earned nickname that has really caught on over the years, a good analogy would be “Fingers” Fingleton
@The Risen: sweet Jesus I hope so as Mehloes idea of change looking more like the last 4years plus the greens
@Manbackonboard:
Lol.. well earned moniker, the smell of desperation off the man even comes across on TV.
Mehole MoreTan , go twitch on that one
@The Risen: you really are clueless.
@The Risen: #bekind
@The Risen: ah Mary Lou a god send !!!. I very much doubt it.
@Paul Furey:
#bekind #DonateaBedtoYourLocalHospital
#CelebrateYour40thatHomecosulivethere
#FFG ETC
#TheGreatCollusion
@The Risen: It’ll go well with those who voted for them, because it’s the FF and FG mandate to not go into government with SF.
But you keep going on with your will of the people shite,
@iohanx: what?????
Oh and absolute disgrace that the comments are closed on the sulky race. They do not deserve any less judgement from your users just because its their culture!
Extremely demoralising to watch the coverage of this and the antics of the Healy Rae’s and that clown from Limerick. They should get in to Dail and get on with the job. The election happened almost 2 weeks ago and there has been no progress on govt formation. This country is a joke !!!
@Neil McAuley: relax Neil. The children’s hospital wasn’t built in a day
@Neil McAuley: relax Neil. Don’t be so doom and gloom. Let them get on with it and keep your moaning out of it!!
@Martin McFly: as its reasonable, I’ll do and say what I want. HOW DARE YOU !!!!!
@Neil McAuley: That “clown” from Limerick is one of the hardest working politicians in the country which is why we elected him. As for the car, he is a member of a vintage car club and thought it would be a nice way to represent them. Lighten up a bit
@Tadhg Keating: how do u know how hard other politicians throughout the country work? I notice the people of Limerick County returned an FF, FG and a former FF politician Pretty uninspiring stuff.
@Neil McAuley: as is their right to? Thats democracy at work
@Neil McAuley: ohh no, the caps are out. Punishment beatings next.
@NotMyIreland: of course it’s their right and democracy. All fair enough. Just said uninspiring and there’s no denying that.
@Martin McFly:
@Neil McAuley: Uninspiring for your views, not those of the people of Limerick I would imagine.
@NotMyIreland: hahaha.
@Neil McAuley: Thankful Richard saw of the Moon landing Denying Sinn Fein candidate in the final Count. That Vintage Car club raises money for Local Charities In Limerick so what harm if he used today to promote it a little, A very worthy cause.
@Neil McAuley: Damn right Neil, there’s only a few combinations that work.
The Oscars are over, the results are in, get back to work ye shower of wasters!
@Neil McAuley: you need to relax and accept that very few think the way you do.
@Paul Furey: am feeling quite relaxed actually thanks. Most people would agree with my sentiments and that’s certainly the case on here, as evidenced by numerous comments that have been posted. cheers.
In other news I’ve just painted the outside of my house. As the weather is so damp it’s going to take hours to dry. Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/PLOPygVcaVE
Thanks.
@Manbackonboard: I’ll raise you
https://youtu.be/kiXY7ynw6ek
@JohnnyMc: Brilliant!!
That reada cronin should be removed from the dail aling with a few others who should not be there. If our country hasnt gone down the pan it will now with sinn fein
@hasnooneasked: ask the voters why they exercised their democratic right and elected them. You know how it works? Right?
@Paul Furey: I’ll tell ya something, those of a non SF persuasion that voted for her in protest at fffg may have decided differently where there 1 or 2 went if these tweets were publicised during the campaign.
You really do seem to have to have an increased level of arrogance and self-belief to be a politician.
What a ridiculous spectacle.
Most people beginning a new job don’t arrive with such nonsensical fanfare.
@Tricia G: I’m praying for another General Election and the people of Limerick need to not vote again for the TD who arrived in the limo.
@Tricia G: You can pray all you want, we will still elect him! We reward Hard working people in Limerick.
Think there is a bug in the Journal “reply” function there Tadgh
@Tricia G:
He has actually been a very effective Councillor with excellent feedback from people in rural Limerick. Hence he was elected to the Dáil.
@Tadhg Keating: like willie odea and his Galway tent merchants?
Is it not all a bit farcical? Get in and make a government and fix the legacy problems that are health and homelessness. American cars and accordions are ya for real?
Complete time wasting exercise. Just turning up to justify their expenses at this stage.
Will ye all stop…Can ye not see the agenda here.The longer this pans out, Leo will get his pension and suddenly voila we will have a government
Beat me to it Andrew H!
#shinnersout
Anyone counting the votes to make sure they’re actually in the chamber
No surprises SOC’s are now labour in disguise – so much for change
What a waste of time! Why don’t they just get on with electing a Taoiseach? None of their speeches make a blind bit of difference to how TDs are going to vote
The business in hand is the election of a Taoiseach. The Social Democrats will not be supporting any candidate because we believe it is meaningless for us to do so in the absence of a negotiated and agreed programme for Government. We are very clear and have said over the past week that this is not a personality or popularity contest. It has to be about the policies that respond to what the public has said to us in the past week. It is about having an agreed policy platform that will lead to a programme for Government.
Unable to post links, but that was taken from the Oireachtas’ Site, which was Deputy Shorthall’s Statement.
@UCC Social Democrats Society: Your party should climb down off of the fence and make a stand one way or another. Just sitting on your hands as you try to figure out which way the wind is blowing and where you might get more cabinet positions is just wrong. Have some principles and stand for something FFS!!
How can each vote take so long?
FF and SF plus Greens vote for Eamon Ryan for Taoiseach and let them form a Government.
FF can say it was formed by the Greens.
Then we can say it’s change
Will ye all stop..can you not see the agenda here..the longer this plays out….Leo will get his pension…and then suddenly we will have a government.
@d: that’s going to be a long time then, Leo doesn’t get his pension till he’s 65.
@Connoroconner: yup but in a couple of weeks he will qualify for the taoiseach pension….courtesy of us
@d: ah ok
Leo the lame Lama
The barbarians never take a city until someone opens the gates for them. In this case it’s people voting for the populists – just look at two of the recent examples of the kind of language coming from these people. Depressing.
The amount of ‘anti shinner’ people on here that reply to comments but won’t have a comment of their is interesting…. Can anybody explain why?
bunch of arseholes
..
…
Gerry now part of sinn fein negotiations team. Definitely glad I didnt vote for sf
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