€30m Beamish Counting House is ready for tenants and Event Centre plans shift up a gear
Front facade of Counting House with new office block to the rear Picture: Denis Minihane
THE use of the rejuvenated Beamish Counting House as a civic building in Cork city’s medieval core is just one of the possibilities being floated by developers BAM who have invested €30m in the new multi-use development, which is now ready for tenant fit-out.
They say a couple of public bodies have come to look at the meticulously crafted regeneration project and the feeling is that “it would be an ideal spot for a civic building”.
The building could potentially be let to a single occupant and there has been an enquiry “along that line”. Enquiries have also come in from the financial services and tech sectors.
BAM is also more positive about the long-awaited €80m Event Centre, also earmarked for the former brewery site, saying “teams are assembled and moving towards detailed design” with the expectation that this would be completed in nine months, albeit “back and forth on budgeting” continues. The State has promised €50m towards the project.
The hope is that once detailed design is complete, construction would take two years, and it would be ready to open as a venue in three years.
In relation to the Counting House itself, a mixed-use 150,000 sq ft development which includes 70,000 sq ft of state-of-the-art office space, development manager for BAM Property, Paul Kenneally, says the building lends itself to a wide range of uses, which could include a museum, a library, administration offices, exhibition spaces, as well as retail and hospitality.
It’s been acknowledged that the city library on Grand Parade is in need of a new premises — planned, in the long term, as part of a wider €46m public realm project.
The completion of the Counting House development and an adjoining 7,000 sq ft public plaza, marks a significant step in the transformation of this ancient part of the city, with further major renewal planned by Cork City Council, including pedestrianisation of nearby Tuckey Street; raising the level of South Main Street so that it’s flush with the new plaza, and removing walls around Bishop Lucey Park to open up the park to the wider city centre.
Other streets in the area will also be rejuvenated and new walkways and cycleways introduced. Railings that once separated the brewery site from South Main Street have been removed.
The city has regained a medieval street in the new Brewery Quarter, with Lamley’s Lane reinstated between the award-winning €40m GSA Global/Lee Point student accommodation complex and the brewery building.
A new bridge, currently out to tender as part of the public realm project, will link the Brewery Quarter with Crosses Green, from Lamley's Lane, a future asset for the planned Event Centre, as a covered laneway to the rear of the brewery building, accessed from Lamley's Lane, will lead directly to the Event Centre site.
A second bridge linking the Event Centre with Proby’s Quay is also envisaged.
With the Counting House development completed, the focus now is on populating it with tenants. Behan, Irwin & Gosling (BIG) are joint letting agents with CBRE. Cearbhall Behan of BIG points out: “The Counting House offers occupiers a truly unique space unlike any other in the city that needs to be experienced in order to truly appreciate this landmark building.” Anthony Quinlan of CBRE points out that there’s a historic element on every floor, reflective of the site's brewing heritage, including grain mash tuns, kilns, copper brew kettles and the original Milling Tower, restored and preserved in a temperature-controlled room.
As Gareth O’Callaghan, director of JCA Architects (conservation specialists) points out, the historic fabric of the building has been retained and incorporated into the new. The original brewery boardroom is also restored and will be “a lettable space”. The adjoining original Counting House with atrium roof-light is also fully restored and lettable.
The new office section covers six floors, with a double-height reception at the entrance.
A fabulous staircase runs up through the floors, with woodwork by Glenn Wood Joinery of Tullamore and steelwork by Blarney-based Plant and Engineering.
Views take in the whole city, from nearby St Fin Barre’s Cathedral and Elizabeth Fort, to the spires of Holy Trinity Church and Shandon Bells.
A new view available through strategically placed windows on different floors on the Lamley's Lane side, looks down Tuckey Street and the entire spine of Oliver Plunkett Street.
The rear of the new building, at ground level, is earmarked for a riverside bar/restaurant. There will also be ground-floor retail (400 sq to 6,500 sq ft spaces available), cultural spaces, and possibly a gym.
The office floors can accommodate over 700 staff and can be fitted out according to tenants’ needs, Mr Kenneally said.
The development also provides underground car parking for 67 cars and 50 internal bike spaces together with shower facilities/changing rooms/locker rooms.
Mr Behan said the Counting House “offers a unique working environment blending historic elements of the brewery within excellent modern office space with views over Cork City”.
Brian Edwards of CBRE Cork said high-quality amenity-rich city centre offices “that reflect a company’s ethos and brand will allow businesses to compete in the constant battle to attract and retain top-quality talent”.
The agents are quoting rents for the offices of €32.50 per square foot and retail/hospitality rents of €25.00 psf.
More information: Cearbhall Behan/BIG (021) 4270007 Brian Edwards/CBRE (021) 491 7255
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