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.