Walk on City Gate water

THERE’S one more test to be done at City Gate, the recession-defying 300,000 sq ft phase 11 office and retail development at Cork’s Mahon: the test is to see if developer John Cleary can actually walk on water.

The new development, due to be officially opened later this month as Quest Software takes up 70,000 sq ft of space there, includes the equivalent of an indoor street, plus an 18- metre swimming pool and gym. This will put its facilities for occupants on a par with the likes of Dublin’s Google HQ by Barrow Street, and help the complex lure further IT, gaming and mobile FDI employers.

The healthy lifestyle pool pitch will tie in broadly with City Gate phase 1’s health and medical flavour, with a VHI clinic in situ, and now high hopes of an early opening of a new Mater Private hospital at Mahon as well, following the recent takeover of the 44-bed Cork private Shanakiel Hospital and its planned transfer and redevelopment to City Gate. The new Mater Private may have up to 250 jobs, and over 100 beds, and takes over the facility first set aside for the Sheehan Group’s Cork Medical Centre, but which controversially hit VHI approval difficulties, with the loss last year of 70 Sheehan Group jobs.

Meanwhile, the €50m City Gate phase 11 development’s progress has defied the gloom of the bust — for the past year it has been practically the sole tower crane on the city and suburbs skyline. Now, further significant office and retail details are in the offing, including new retail names not previously represented in Cork, according to property sources.

Letting agents Downing Commercial are now seeking to let 30,000 sq ft in City Gate phase 1 after Quest relocate in the coming weeks to its far larger 70,000 sq ft in the adjacent City Gate phase 11 block, close to Mahon Point Shopping Centre and Retail Park.

Discussions are still ongoing to confirm an operator for the complex’s leisure facility, gym and pool, but the contrast with most other Irish developments couldn’t be more marked: most developers are in a hole, and have been told to stop digging. John Cleary kept digging, is about to fill the hole with water, and market it. Now, for the walking on water test....

Details: Downing Commercial: 021-4271000, CBRE 01-6185500