Apartments come of age

By Tommy Barker

The redevelopment of CIE's Horgan's Quay railway site sees Dublin-based Manor Park talking about up to 1,400 new apartments in a Spencer Dock-style scheme on Leeside: such a massive and high-rise €300 million residential scheme, part of a c€1 billion investment if granted planning, would have a huge market impact.

The city centre in Cork still has less than 1,000 modern apartments. Recentschemes going out to the suburbs are finding increasing numbers of owner occupiers.

This will certainly be the case at King's Bridge, a well-advanced scheme of apartments and duplex units with winter gardens, roof gardens and communal courtyards just off the South Douglas Road in Cork city.

The name King's Bridge might have a Knightsbridge ring to it, but was chosen for local Turner's Cross resonances, such as the landmark and architecturally distinguished Christ the King Church, and Christ the King/Chriost Ri secondary schools, and its location beside a bridge.

Developer is Seamus Scally, owner of OB bathrooms and tiles, and he's brought a high-quality approach to his first residential development scheme (the site of 1.1 acres was bought in 1999 for about £1.4 million.)

"The city council wanted an upmarket development on this site, and that suited me as I wanted to do a scheme of apartments I'd be happy to live in myself," says Mr Scally who worked with Project Architects (who also did the striking Harty's Quay apartment design) on this niche development of 34 units.

So, this scheme being built by Murphy Construction has extra design touches being delivered that includes things like communal roof gardens, first floor courtyard spaces, under-deck car parking, limestone steps to the duplex units, and these three-bed duplexes have sun rooms/ winter gardens up over the ground level apartments.

Finishes include limestone, reconstituted Portland stone and York brick detailing. Bathrooms have power showers and chrome fittings, high quality tiling throughout, and above-standard kitchens and lighting.

Selling agent is Trish Stokes, new homes manager of Sherry FitzGerald in Cork who says the location, just set back from the south city link road, with access in both directions as well as being within a short walk of the city centre, was a real attraction.

The cheapest apartments are €260,000 for two-bed of 770 sq ft, with six ground floor units available with ground floor terraces behind each.

Overhead, are six duplexes, of 1,230 sq ft, with three bedrooms each, they've got sun rooms behind facing west, and are priced at €375,000 each.

Next, are two blocks of three storey blocks of apartments, mostly two-bed units of 820 sq ft and priced at €280,000 each.

Six top floor penthouses of 1,124 sq ft each with the best views, railed balconies, two bedrooms and very large living areas, are under a mansard roof with overhead skylights.

Prices €450,000, and each unit in the development has free parking, in contrast to city centre schemes where parking spaces can cost over €30,000 each.