City redevelopment - Planners must insist on the best

THE €450 million plan unveiled today to redevelop the heart of Cork city is one of the most exciting projects in decades.

Covering an acre just off Patrick Street, the venture includes the building where this newspaper has been published since 1841.

Shopping will be the predominant element of the scheme, which represents a major initiative to bring shoppers and retailers back to the centre of the city in an era of suburban shopping malls.

It will also include apartments and, significantly, will see a new pedestrian link opened from St Patrick’s Street to the cultural hub of Emmet Square.

Regrettably, previous schemes have reflected the lack of money in the economy. Given the nation’s newfound wealth, the planners must insist on world-class architecture for first major retail and residential complex in the heart of Cork for almost 200 years.