'A real vote of confidence for Cork': design work on event centre project has begun

Cork Event Centre has been dogged by planning, funding, design and legal delays.

Almost six years since the sod-turning ceremony, detailed design work on the long-stalled Cork Event Centre project has finally begun, it has been confirmed on Monday night.

But it will be autumn next year before that design work is complete and there is still no indication of when construction work on the proposed 6,000 capacity venue on the city’s South Main St will start.

However, Cork City Council does plan to publish a tender within days advertising for consultants to complete a business case plan for the project, in line with the public spending code requirements.

The news emerged during question time at Monday night’s meeting of Cork City Council.

Independent councillor Mick Finn sought another update from council chief executive Ann Doherty on the status of the project, which saw its sod turned before the 2016 general election.

But as has been well-documented, it has been dogged ever since by planning, funding, design and legal delays. A brick has yet to be laid on site.

Site earmarked for proposed Event Centre. Picture: Larry Cummins

At the launch of the National Development Plan (NDP) in Cork in October, Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath said €50m in State-aid to help deliver the proposed venue was still ring-fenced, and still available to the project.

In his question to Ms Doherty on Monday night, and given that State funding for the project is now included in the NDP, and that plans for the public realm in the area are being advanced, Mr Finn asked for an outline of any progress in terms of detailed design, timelines and the developer’s intentions in relation to this project which he said "has now lost another year".

In her reply, Ms Doherty said: “Cork City Council has been advised that the Live Nation/BAM consortium has commenced final detailed design of the Cork events centre. It’s understood this will be completed in the third quarter of next year. This brings the events centre a further step on the process.” 

'New starting point'

Mr Finn welcomed the news and described it as a “new starting point”.

“I commend the chief executive, Live Nation and BAM for staying with it. This is a real vote of confidence for Cork, it’s a real shot in the arm for Cork in difficult times,” he said.

He also asked what else the council needed to do in order to secure delivery of the project.

Welcoming the move to final detailed design work, Ms Doherty said the city council now needs to finalise the business case for the project and she said the council would be advertising soon for consultants to undertake that work.

The NDP predicts the proposed venue will aid the wider economic potential and balanced regional development of the southern and mid-western region.

Cork City Council plans to publish a tender within days advertising for consultants to complete a business case plan for the project, in line with the public spending code requirements

It says while there were some “unavoidable delays due to Covid-19”, the project is now proceeding to the next stages, which are the finalisation of the funding agreement, the completion of detailed design and the commencement of construction.

A major public realm improvement scheme is also proposed around the earmarked site on South Main St, with Bishop Lucey Park and the streetscape set for major regeneration.

Separately, Cllr Deirdre Forde was told the repair, and if necessary, the replacement of the lights on South Gate Bridge forms part of the Beamish and Crawford public realm project. 

This project will be going to construction in the second half of 2022, she was told.

But no funding has been provided next year for the refurbishment of the historic lights on Parliament Bridge.