Irish Examiner view: Revitalising Cork

A CGI of what the 5.7ha St Kevin’s site will look like when fully developed. Courtesy of Reddy A+U/LDA.

The accommodation crisis shows no signs of abating, with every week appearing to bring news of ever-higher rents and limited housing stock.

It was encouraging, therefore, to read this week that the contract for phase one of the biggest public housing project in Cork since the 80s has gone out to tender.

The now-derelict St Kevin’s psychiatric hospital in Shanakiel is part of the project and has been earmarked for 60 apartments once works have been carried out to stabilise the structure, while 5.7-hectare site surrounding St Kevin’s will see building begin on the first phase — 97 houses — in the middle of next year.

The site has been an eyesore glowering down on Cork’s western approaches for two decades. To have it transformed into a living part of the city, into homes for hundreds of people, is welcome news.

That transformation has enormous potential; taking a derelict site, neglected and crumbling, and changing it into a new development providing homes and community means the opportunity also exists to revitalise the locality and to create a vibrant neighbourhood.

Those responsible, the Land Development Agency, deserve credit for having the vision to identify the opportunity here.

What are the other areas in Cork which would be equally suited to this approach?