Cork event centre business case approved

Memo seen by the 'Irish Examiner' states that the Cabinet will hear plans submitted by the Cork City Council Project Development Board

The site of Cork's long-awaited event centre on South Main St. File picture: Larry Cummins

A preliminary business case for Cork's long-awaited event centre has been approved, the Cabinet will be told tomorrow, Tuesday.

The sod for the centre was turned at the former Beamish and Crawford site by then taoiseach Enda Kenny in February 2016. However, the project has been stalled since then.

The venue is set to have 6,000 seats, and it could cost up to €150m.

Last December, the preliminary business case for the project was submitted to the Department of Housing, Heritage, and Local Government.

Now, the approval has been given for the business case in line with infrastructure guidelines from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

According to a memo seen by the Irish Examiner, the “Cork City Council Project Development Board for the centre has proposed a delivery model, which means the council will partner with a project delivery partner responsible for the provision of land, partial funding, and all activities related to design, construction and operation”.

The next step is for the Department of Housing, Heritage, and Local Government to write to Cork City Council to notify the local authority that approval has been granted.

This will pave the way for the project to enter into the tendering process and the “finalisation of a detailed project briefing”.

The memo said that “the engagement process with the previous preferred bidder for the project remains ongoing”.

It is now anticipated that a submission from Cork City Council to move to the next stage will be in May.

The final site for the centre is yet to be decided, with rival options, including at a site on the South Docklands, to South Main St having been proposed.

A procurement process was announced in 2024 for the project, which had the aim of ensuring that the project stayed in compliance with EU procurement laws.

Over a year ago, a project management delivery team for the project was set up.

It includes members of the business community in Cork, government department representatives, and other agencies.

A preliminary market consultation was published last September, with a call out for expressions of interest in relation to developing the centre. The consultation sought engagement “with suitably experienced developers, as well as operators and promoters within the live entertainment and events industry, to seek advice in relation to the council’s procurement plans and requirements”.

The procurement process is being overseen by Aecom, a global project management firm with an office in Cork.

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