Ambitious plan to create leading European waterfront

THE Cork docklands renewal project is one of the most ambitious urban renewal projects in the State.

The comprehensive re-development plan for its 420 acres could see an estimated €2 billion ploughed into various residential and office projects over the next two decades.

Drawing on experience from Dublin, Hamburg, London and Bristol, the project will see the city turn back towards its river.

Planners are anxious to promote high quality innovative building and urban design to create a leading European waterfront.

Up to 6,000 new homes, six million sq ft of office space, new parks and a new marina are planned.

The €100 million City Quarter hotel and office development officially launched last night is the first major project envisaged under the docklands strategy.

A number of other projects are nearing completion - others are expected to get under way in the coming weeks.

Howard Holdings is expected to start work on its WebWorks project, an incubator for IT companies, on Albert Quay within weeks.

Next door, O’Flynn Construction is in talks with city planners about a €100m mixed use scheme, which includes plans for a 17-storey tower, on the former An Post site on Eglinton St.

They should have work on their mixed-use scheme at 6 Lapps Quay, next to City Quarter, complete within six months.

Work on the city council’s new civic offices to the rear of City Hall is ongoing. It should be completed within 18 months.

McMahon’s is also seeking planning for a largely residential scheme at Barry’s Timber Yard on Water St. This development could also include a 17-storey tower.

“The docklands area is way bigger than city centre. It is a huge area,” said Paul Sutton, a planner in the city council’s Docklands Directorate.

The Docklands Strategy was launched in 2001. It outlined a strategic vision for the entire area.

However, more detailed plans for specific docklands areas are on the way. A draft of the Local Area Plan for the north Docklands will be published shortly. A similar plan for the south Docklands is at the early stages of development.

The Docklands Directorate has, over the last three years, been in talks with landowners, stakeholders and developers.

Its major landowners include IAWS, the biggest landowner, with 35 acres along Kennedy Quay, CIÉ which owns Horgans Quay, Gerry Wycherley who owns the Marina Commercial Park, Ford Motor Company, Tedcastles and the ESB.

“This is a 25 to 30-year strategy. We’re not expecting to have it all done in 10 years,” Mr Sutton said. “The Dublin Docklands project started 15 years ago. They are still building.”