Land to be rezoned for €200m office plan

A €200 MILLION office development which could create up to 1,500 jobs in Cork city got the green light last night after councillors agreed unanimously to rezone land.

They also agreed to ring-fence some of the estimated €3m in development contributions that will be paid by John Cleary Developments to build an extra traffic lane in to the site near the Mahon Point shopping centre.

Councillors cited the jobs potential of the project and city manager Joe Gavin assured that the extra lane will be built to ease traffic congestion in the area.

Mr Cleary, who has already secured the European, Middle East and Africa headquarters for McAfee, Big Fish Games and Solarwinds at his City Gate development in Mahon Point, welcomed the outcome.

“The new development will provide world-class office space and is being actively marketed to multi- national technology companies,” he said.

“Mahon has proved that as a location it has the capacity to attract these world-class businesses and ensure that Cork benefits from the new smart economy initiative.”

City Gate is now more than 85% let and will see another 350 people working there when the Sheehan Medical Group’s new hospital, the Cork Medical Centre, opens in the summer.

His company had sought planning permission to build some 26,000 square metres of office space, in three blocks, on a site near the shopping centre.

It will include retail units, offices, showrooms, commercial units, a primary care centre, a financial services unit, a leisure centre and swimming pool, and restaurant on a site that was zoned for residential, local services and institutions land-use.

Senior planners and the city manager recommended the rezoning last week. But councillors deferred a vote to discuss traffic concerns with planners.

Members of the council’s planning and development strategic policy committee met yesterday and recommended to full council that the material contravention be adopted.

At a full council meeting, all 27 councillors attending voted for the rezoning.

Cllr Terry Shannon (FF), who represents the area, proposed that a slice of the development charges be used to build the extra lane.

Cllr Kenneth O’Flynn (FF) said developing the smart economy is the only way forward for Ireland and that this developer is targeting such companies.

Cllr Chris O’Leary said a survey of local residents shows they are concerned about growing traffic levels. But he said the project’s job potential in the current environment is enormous.

Cllr Michael Ahern (Lab) said it is encouraging to see a developer willing to build in the current climate.