Council steps in to arrange works on derelict Cork city centre buildings

Derelict buildings on North Main Street. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

The owners of derelict buildings which have been propped up by metal beams since a partial collapse a year ago will be billed for the cost of new stabilising works.

It follows a decision by Cork City Council to step in this week and arrange for the works to the North Main St buildings itself.

The decision to physically intervene follows extensive contacts between City Hall and the owners of 62, 63 and 64 North Main St, which yielded little action to resolve the situation.

The buildings, which are all listed on the derelict sites register, suffered a partial collapse in June 2019. The facades have been propped up by steel A-frames since.

As the issue dragged on last year, litter built up behind the hoarding, and sections of the hoarding fell down.

City officials faced criticism over the ongoing situation but insisted they were pursuing every legislative avenue available to hold the building owners to account.

The issue came to a head in February when the owners were given a month to move the huge support beams off the public footpath.

Local business owners at the time held out little hope that the owners would comply.

 

And while Covid-19 disrupted the process, City Hall decided in recent weeks that it would have to step in to resolve the situation.

City councillors raised the issue at Monday’s council meeting after contractors engaged by the city council moved on site.

The council’s director of operations, David Joyce, said the council is paying for the stabilisation works, which should take about two weeks to complete.

It is understood that the external building supports will be relocated within the footprint of number 63, freeing up the public footpath, and allowing for the hoarding to be removed. Work is being progressed at night to minimise disruption to business and residents.

He confirmed that while the council is paying for the works, the council will seek to recoup the cost of the project from the owners of the buildings.

Meanwhile, a similar A-frame support structure has been attached to the front of a building on Tuckey St which was closed overnight on July 2 after a bulge appeared in its facade, between its second and third floors, prompting fears for the building’s stability.

The yellow building, with a Christian bookshop sign on the front, is part of the terrace between Hillbillies fast-food restaurant and the St Vincent de Paul premises. The structure is not listed on the city’s derelict sites register.

Hoarding has now been erected on the footpath around the supporting beams.