Building for a brighter future

SETTING its crescent face firmly against the pessimism currently in the Irish tourism sector is the €30 million new tourism and catering building in Cork’s Institute of Technology — due to go on site within weeks.

Finally approved by Education Minister Noel Dempsey in the spring, the building go-ahead sees the third phase of the CIT campus’ expansion kick into gear.

Representing a total investment of over €30 million, the three linked buildings coming on stream will offer new administrative headquarters, a new student centre and a 4,250 sq m tourism and catering college that will be the biggest in the country and “the finest in Europe”, says CIT assistant principal Dr Michael Noonan.