O’Callaghan Properties declines to confirm role in new Cork Event Centre plans

Cork City Council says it’s pleased with developer engagement but won’t reveal who has submitted bids for the long-delayed Event Centre

The site of the proposed Cork Event Centre on South Main St, Cork City, stills remains undeveloped. Picture: Larry Cummins

Developer O’Callaghan Properties (OCP) has declined to confirm whether it is among the parties that submitted an expression of interest to develop the long-awaited Cork Event Centre.

Ahead of last Wednesday’s deadline, speculation has been mounting that OCP is one of several developers to have responded to Cork City Council’s recent call for engagement as part of a preliminary market consultation. 

The preliminary consultation is designed to gauge industry appetite before launching a formal procurement process. However, OCP would not be drawn on its involvement.

The company was previously shortlisted to deliver a 6,000-seat event centre on Albert Quay but withdrew at the final tender stage in 2014. 

When asked about its current interest, a spokesperson said: “OCP is not making any comment on anything to do with the Cork Event Centre, and that has been and will remain the company’s position.” 

Cork City Council likewise declined to say whether OCP had made a submission or how many expressions of interest were received. A spokesperson said the council is “very happy with the level of engagement”, but is “precluded from discussing any details at this stage of what is a confidential process”.

Expressions of interest

Urban Green Private, owners of the Marina Market, has publicly declared its ambition to deliver an event centre on their south docklands site and is understood to have made a submission. 

BAM, the construction group with existing planning permission for a 5,000-capacity venue on the former Beamish & Crawford site on South Main St, is also believed to be in the mix.

In 2007, OCP was ordered to pay €6m to the city council under a Mahon Point penalty clause for failing to deliver a promised trade centre — funds that were earmarked at the time for a future event centre in Cork’s docklands.

In 2014, BAM won a bid for €20m in State aid funding towards the cost of building an event centre. At that stage, the cost was estimated at €50.4m. Some 11 years later, the figure is estimated to be closer to €100m.

It was decided last year that a new procurement process was required to ensure the project stayed in compliance with EU procurement laws, as the amount of State aid had risen to €57m, with an additional €30m to €40m believed to be required to get the project over the line. 

A project development board led by the council was set up to oversee the new procurement process, and a tender was issued for a “suitably qualified consultant” to assemble and manage an expert team tasked with delivering elements of the stalled project in a contract worth up to €10m.