Enabling the future

ENABLE Ireland/Lavanagh Centre is buying a seven-acre site west of Cork City for future development/relocation uses.

It’s close to finalising the circa €1m acquisition of the former ESB Sports Centre, at Curraheen Road, which includes 14,000 sq ft of buildings.

The deal follows on long-term plans by Lavangh Centre/Enable Ireland to find a new facility outside the city suburbs, ongoing since the mid-2000s.

Enable Ireland/Lavanagh Centre is currently in suburban Ballintemple, and needs better training and care facilities for the physically disabled. It had pursued alternative sites around Bandon Road, by Dunnes Stores at Garrandarragh, in 2005. Back then, plans were mooted for a €500m medical campus at Garrandarragh, to include a private hospital (Blackrock Clinic Group), a relocated Marymount/St Patrick’s Hospital, and other uses.

The site being acquired at Curraheen is close to Marymount Hospice/St Patrick’s Hospital’s new campus, as well as to the greyhound racing track, and is adjacent to lands bought last year by UCC and the Munster Agricultural Society.

Near the Ballincollig bypass and Curraheen flyover, the seven acres went up for sale in September of last year, pitched at sports clubs and groups, via Peter O’Flynn, of DTZ Sherry FitzGerald for the ESB. The price was €500,000-600,000, but it has sold for close to €1m, according to sources, with several underbidders. It includes a sports hall, courts, a lounge bar, and old playing pitches.

Few details of its future use have been divulged, but, this week, an Enable Ireland spokesperson confirmed the purchase was in train. “The site is earmarked for long-term development to accommodate Enable Ireland’s children services, which are funded by the HSE, Department of Education and Skills and FÁS.”

The spokesperson was unable to say if the site would involve the relocation of all services from Ballintemple, and what the future of the Ballintemple site might be.

Details: www.enableireland.ie; DTZ Sherry FitzGerald, 021-4275454