Two long-time derelict sites in Cork City approved for sale

As condition of the sale, the sites must be redeveloped in two years

The sites at 118 and 119 Barrack Street have been approved for disposal for €275,000.

Two long-time derelict properties on Cork’s historic Barrack St — acquired by compulsory purchase order (CPO) — have been approved for disposal for €275,000 on condition that they are redeveloped within two years.

Despite claims from some city councillors that the properties were being given away for a “knock-down price” and should be retained by Cork City Council for the development of social housing, councillors voted 21-6 to approve the disposal of 118 and 119 Barrack St to a Mairead Keohane.

Councillors were earlier told that City Hall's housing directorate had ruled the sites out for social housing and that the fee represents the best obtainable based on an open market sales process and an independent evaluation process.

The council’s head of corporate affairs, Paul Moynihan, told councillors that Ms Keohane proposes to develop commercial uses on the ground floors, with two residential units overhead, and that she has a track record of investment in business on the street, and of delivery.

Several conditions have been attached, including the placing of the burden on the purchaser to complete the redevelopment or refurbishment of the properties and remove the dereliction within a maximum of two years from the date of closing of the contract for sale.

Failure to do so will result in the council placing the property on the Derelict Sites Register which will incur an annual levy on the market value of the property.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

If redevelopment is not delivered in the timescale, the purchaser will not be able to assign or alienate their interest in the contract or sub-sell the property without the prior written consent of the council.

The two adjoining properties fell into disrepair before they were both placed on the city’s derelict sites register in 2015. They have been vacant since.

They were acquired by compulsory purchase order last year as part of a co-ordinated move on six high-profile derelict properties — the other four are on North Main St — all with shared ownership links.

An Rabharta Glas Cllr Lorna Bogue criticised the decision to sell off at “a knock-down price” two city centre sites she said should be developed for social housing.

Solidarity Cllr Fiona Ryan welcomed the council’s move to serve a compulsory purchase order on the sites which she said were the victims of “social, commercial and economic vandalism” but she said such city centre sites should be developed for housing.

But Green Party Cllr Dan Boyle said he believes this is the best way to secure redevelopment of these “too long derelict buildings”.

Independent Cllr Mick Finn described the properties as “blots on the landscape” 
for many years.