Townhouses or one off special possibilities for Villa Franca

WHAT will become of Villa Franca?

Having given up much of its gardens 30 years ago for a scheme of townhouses, the period-style, big house on Cork’s main Douglas Road and its surviving greenery may now also fall to further townhouse building.

While some see scope for a medium density development in this truly prime suburban site, the location is good enough for something extraordinary — low density development, a whopper or two.

Consulting engineers Atkins are relocating from this building, on a mature site of 0.565 of an acre, at the top of the residential cul de sac estate of Ballincurrig Park and with access from Ballincurrig, while there’s also an unused main entrance on the Douglas Road itself.

Selling agent for Villa Franca is Isobel O’Regan of Savills HOK, who guides it at €1.7 million, and who says it may be bought for commercial or residential, or development, subject to planning permission.

Villa Franca, on the eastern side of the half acre-plus site, has over 5,000 sq ft of established commercial use over its three floors, and is zoned residential.

A small scheme of townhouses was built in a long strip of Villa Franca’s former gardens within Ballincurrig Park by Lanes Builders in the 1970s, in a well-regarded scheme called Orchard Close.

Several of the big Edwardian semis and detached houses across the road are in the €2 to €5m price league. Meanwhile two quite extraordinary looking detached houses are being built in Knockrea Park, on the site of a demolished 1930s dormer house.

And car dealer and property developer Bill Keary got local authority approval recently for an apartment scheme on the site of the former Esso garage nearer Douglas village, in a decision certain to be appealed to An Bord Pleanala, given the volume of local objections.