Sheds now your possessions of choice as economy rolls on

New warehousing is hot property in Cork city and Little Island as demand soars

Rising tide of demand for warehousing: €30m Harbour Gate Business Park will have 200,000 sq ft of units

Industry and construction continue to power on post-Covid, with work well advanced on a brand new 200,000 sq ft c €30m business park at Cork’s Little Island, with first tenants ProSys about to move into a quite sizeable 17,500 sq ft unit.

And, meanwhile, closer to Cork city centre, fruit company Keelings are redeveloping their former warehouse and distribution facility at Pouladuff, off the N40 with ‘new’ units coming to lease.

Four units at Pouladuff in a scheme to be called Vantage Trade Centre aimed at the ‘trade counter’ sector and close to Smurfit Kappa, Heat Merchants, Cork Builders Providers and Brooks Timber and Building Supplies are being overhauled, built back up from concrete portal frames, and are available to let via joint agents Will Lyons of ERA Downey McCarthy, with Finnegan Mendon’s Nicholas Corson.

Vantage Trade Centre Cork ERA are letting agents

They quote rents from €12.50 psf, up to €15 psf for one of the smallest units: there’s just 23,000 sq ft in all, in sizes from 3,400 sq ft to 8,800 sq ft.

ERA’s Mr Lyons said eaves heights were good at 5.8 metres, and the development will have 40 car parking spaces and four car EV charge points. Early interest is good, he said, and fuller viewing will be allowed in August with completion for occupancy anticipated by this October.

Planning permission was allowed for non-direct retail, allowing thus for trade counter use and storage, suitable for the likes of builders providers/merchants, trade/showroom, wholesale and warehousing uses, says Mr Lyons, noting the site’s proximity to the N40 South Ring Road junction at Pouladuff Road.

Meanwhile the far larger, 200,000 sq ft high bay warehouse development Harbour Gate Business Park at Little Island sees four blocks substantially complete.

First arrival ProSys Group is currently based in the IDA Business Park, nearby at Carrigtwohill, is expanding now to Harbour Gate and specialises in the design and manufacture of containment and asceptic isolators for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing among other client sectors.

Being developed by Seamus Geaney, the new Harbour Gate Business Park is on 17 acres by the waters of Cork Harbour at Little Island, with good arterial road accessnd Dublin M8 roads with easy access to the Jack Lynch Tunnel which connects with the South Ring Road network providing access to the airport, Cork’s southern and western suburbs, Ringaskiddy Port and the main West Cork and Kerry arterial routes.

The units by Edge Architecture range from 17,222 sq ft up to 126,370 sq ft, are NZEB-rated with eaves heights of 15m. Two of the four blocks are reserved, and rents are fromt €10.50 psf, according to Lisney director Ed Hanafin and agent Amanda Isherwood who indicate they’ll confirm another significant letting transaction there shortly.

“There is a severe lack of supply in the industrial property market with the latest Lisney research estimating a vacancy rate of just 1.7% in the Cork metropolitan area and there is a move towards more sustainable energy efficient buildings,2 says Mr Hanafin.

DETAILS: Lisney 021-4275079