Education campus one step nearer graduation

PHASE II marketing of a new education campus for Cork City is about to start, with proposals of interest sought by March of next year.

Just launching is Farranferris Campus, a ‘big picture’ plan with a strong education and training bias, at the 22-acre lands of the former Farranferris Cork Diocesan Seminary.

The existing late Victorian seminary, school and offices with 40,000 sq ft has already been taken over for a range of new training and education uses, spearheaded by Noreen Hegarty of Northside Community Enterprises Ltd. There are over 200 adults in courses in the building at present, and there’s a creche for up to 50 children. The main, restored building is already fully occupied and used by the likes of VM/Ware, UCC, VEC, Fás and others, along with the creche, cafe and a training bakery. It hosts a range of FETAC courses and services as well as small businesses from altar breads to flowers and home insulation.

Now, full planning has been secured for a further c 100,000 sq ft of new buildings, to include a c 50,000 sq ft four-storey education and training building, and multi-level car park with 113 spaces. Also planned is a special needs school, an associated special needs education building, while planning has been granted for 78 new dwellings, plus redeveloped recreation facilities, with open space and a protected half acre formal garden. Development value has been put at around €50m, and to date nearly €2m has been spent is securing and updating the existing 1880s red-brick building, which is a familiar landmark in the Blackpool valley, and a protected structure.

St Finbarr’s Farranferris closed in 2006, and a year later plans were drafted for redevelopment, with a community and education focus. More recently, architects Hogan Associates worked on the town planning application for development of the adjacent lands, for over 100,000 sq ft of new buildings, on fully serviced sites, with turn-key packages available.

Property advisor is Frank Ryan of DTZ Sherry FitzGerald, who’s looking for market proposals and expressions of interest on the additional 100,000 sq ft of space at Farranferris Campus, by March.

He says they will seek to sell serviced sites for small, medium and large-scale space requierments, and can also offer a ‘turnkey’ solution to construct premises for specific client needs, as required.

* Details: DTZ Sherry FitzGerald 021-4275454