Cork event centre construction will not start before year end

The delay is also expected to push back the projected 2024 completion date

Detailed design on the proposed Cork event centre, set to be developed at the former Beamish & Crawford Brewery site, is taking longer than expected. Picture: Larry Cummins

Construction of the long-stalled Cork event centre will not start before the end of the year.

The latest missed target was confirmed in a response to a written question tabled by Independent councillor Mick Finn at this week’s meeting of Cork City Council.

Detailed design on the proposed 6,000-capacity venue is taking longer than expected, pushing the start of any construction on site back to the early part of next year, he was told.

This delay is also expected to push back the projected 2024 completion date.

The end-of-year construction start date, and the 2024 completion date, were announced last February when the Government approved the injection of an additional €7m into the existing €50m state aid package which has been set aside to help to deliver the project.

The additional €7m was approved to cover inflation and Covid delays.

It was stated at that stage that the city council was in a position to conclude funding agreement arrangements with the Live Nation and BAM consortium, with a view to construction starting before the end of this year, with an expected completion date by the end of 2024.

But in a written reply to Mr Finn this week, city council CEO Ann Doherty said Live Nation and BAM are still carrying out detailed design work on the venue.

“This process was originally expected to take nine months but due to the bespoke nature of the Cork event centre, it has taken longer than anticipated,” she said.

“It is now expected that this detailed design process will be completed in early 2023 which will enable the project to move to the construction phase.

Construction is expected to begin in the first half of 2023 and will take two years to complete.

“As announced in last week’s national budget, of €15m in respect of the event centre, this represents the estimated public spending requirement for the project in 2023.”

Mr Finn, who has repeatedly sought updates on the project which saw its sod turned almost six years ago, said he remains hopeful.

“From what I can gather, there have been positive meetings involving the key stakeholders in recent weeks and this is progressing in the right direction. I think this is the end-game,” he said.

But he said he does have mixed feelings about the latest update and delay.

“It is another missed deadline in a series of missed deadlines and another slip in a timeline which has already seen series of slips over the years,” he said.

“I understand that this work is complex and costly but I am taking a positive view, that work is ongoing on the finalisation of the design.

“I think this is the last hurdle before construction starts. We are in the end game here.” 

The entire project has been beset by a raft of planning, funding, design, and legal delays, before Covid hit.

However, there are still fears that soaring inflation could affect the process.