What are they building on Friar's Hill?

Auscast

I drive past it all the time. It's going to either be a company / warehouse or a shopping centre / supermarket. It has Sisk hoarding around it. Anyone know what it's going to be and when it will be finished?

PseudoFamous

Judging by the amount of newish houses around there, I'd hedge my bets on a supermarket, or a leisure complex.

pixbyjohn

Is it a school ?

Batesy

It's a secondary school.

lottpaul

If it's the place I'm thinking of it's the new Wicklow Community College - an amalgamation of the existing Abbey Community College and De La Salle Secondary schools. It was due to open in September but I hear it won't be operational until November or January, and the schools will amalgamate but continue on their present sites.

M O N T O

Are you sure the schools are going to continue on their present sites? I know for sure that the tec (abbey) is closing down as soon as the new school opens, not so sure on the de la salle.

Word is that the Abbey community college is going to be made into a car park for the tesco beside it, which is supposedly becoming a 24 hr.

ClimberC

As far as I know, the abbey is becoming an adult education center and the years of the abbey and dela (de la sal) are being mixed until November when the new school opens. The 6th and 3rd years will remain in the respective schools to avoid extra stress. Thats according to pupils i know and from a teacher in the abbey :rolleyes:

lottpaul

M O N T O wrote: »

Are you sure the schools are going to continue on their present sites? I know for sure that the tec (abbey) is closing down as soon as the new school opens, not so sure on the de la salle.

Word is that the Abbey community college is going to be made into a car park for the tesco beside it, which is supposedly becoming a 24 hr.

They will all join together when the new school building opens.
The future of the 2 buildings is uncertain. The Abbey is a protected building - at least the old section at the front is - and I'm sure the VEC will want to make use of it instead of renting expensive office space elsewhere in the town. The rear of the site borders the C of I national school on Church Hill and I had heard that they were keen on buying a slice to expand. At present they are choc-a-block with prefabs everywhere.
The De La Salle is more difficult. It would be a difficult site to sell narrow access etc even if they could get anyone to buy it - and there are 2 interested parties. The Department of Education is entitled to a sliding scale of the selling price based on any investment they made in recent years. Secondly, the site of the school actually belongs to the Parish of Wicklow and is only on lease to the De La Salle order (a very long lease, but still a lease). So perhaps it could be used for adult ed? or something similar.
(all of the above is from a former DLS teacher but she did say things keep changing and there are few definites)

spank_inferno

That would seem logical.

Tesco wont be taking any of the Abbey CC land for sure.
Tesco own the land to the other side (Esso / cash & carry site)

There has been talk for years of using the available land for a much larger store with Tesco branded petrol station and larger parking.
But nothing has come of it.
Mabey they dont want to lose the "worst tesco in Ireland" rep

VEC intend to occupy the Abbey
As for the DLS, I heard housing, but I don't know how likely this is nowadays.

tonyon

Lots of activety at I.Y. site, is it as rumoured Aldi and Heitons will be Lidl.? Too good to be true!.