[Cork] New inner city 'Brewery Quarter' regeneration plan given approval

Amtmann

Cork continues to get better and better. Corn Market Street has been revamped recently in the St Patrick's St style and looks excellent. The latest plan is for the slightly tatty area near the Beamish brewery:

CORK CITY Council has granted planning permission for a €150 million to €200 million project incorporating a 6,000-seat event centre on the site of the former Beamish and Crawford brewery in Cork city centre.

Council planners granted permission to Heineken Ireland and BAM Contractors on Wednesday for the major project which is expected to create 500 jobs during construction and several hundred further jobs when fully operational.

Heineken Ireland and BAM Contractors, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dutch giant, Royal BAM Group, applied for planning permission for the project last December and earlier this year briefed the public on their proposals for the 1.8 hectare site.

The project, entitled “The Brewery Quarter”, in addition to the 6,000-seat event centre, also includes a mixed scheme of shops, bars, restaurants, an eight-screen cinema, exhibition areas, 46 student apartments and a viewing tower on the south inner city site.

Yesterday, Heineken Ireland corporate relations manager Declan Farmer welcomed the council’s decision and said Heineken and BAM were particularly conscious of the uniqueness of the site given its historical importance as a brewing site going back to 1690.

Mr Farmer said the development, which also involves the construction of two new pedestrian bridges across the south channel of the river Lee, would be “an extraordinary and unique addition to the city’s townscape with significant regeneration benefit”.

The project, which has been carefully designed to conserve Beamish and Crawford’s historic Counting House with its mock Tudor facade fronting on to South Main Street, would also provide a “vibrant and dynamic hub” to attract visitors to the city centre, he said.

Mr Farmer said the joint developers expect that once the project clears all planning hurdles, construction work would take some two to three years and the developers hope the project would be completed and operational by 2014/2015.

Heineken Ireland and BAM Contractors have continued to engage with music industry promoters Live Nation, who operate the O2 in Dublin, to ensure that the event centre will be a world-class performance venue, said Mr Farmer.

A group of Cork businesses welcomed the decision by the council to grant planning permission for the development and appealed to anyone thinking of objecting to refrain from doing so. Publican Con Dennehy said the group, which is composed of a cross-section of business interests in the city centre including those involved in retail and hospitality, were strongly of the view that the development was too important an opportunity for Cork to squander.

“Not withstanding anyone’s right to object, we would hope sense would prevail. This is too important to be derailed by any frivolous objections and I’d appeal to any potential objector to think twice.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0729/1224301563943.html

AugustusMinimus

Excellent news.

The original plan was for a music and events arena to be built alongside a redeveloped Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

Building it in the city centre is much much better. Will greatly aid the area.

Would really like to see something also done across the road on the former site of Sir Henry's nightclub which has been derlict now for 7 or 8 years.

Chris_5339762

This looks pretty good actually. No pile of apartments in there (Student apartments are different). The cinema will get used. The events centre is badly needed. The viewing tower will probably be removed due to height whingers but overall it sounds like a well thought out development for the current times.

L1011

Cork is FULL of cinemas. There's one in the city centre, one in Mahon, one in Douglas, one in Blackpool, bit further out and there's one in Midleton, one in Ballincollig, one in Mallow (similar sizes and distances out from Dublin sometimes don't have one - e.g. Maynooth!)

Good luck to them in finding an operator for it, I doubt Gate or Reel will open another up close to their existing ones, ditto Ward Anderson. UCI is the last choice.

However seeing as its foreign money being spent on it and not NAMA or our banks trying to finish something off, let them at it...

Chris_5339762

The one on the Grand Parade closed several years ago.
The Gate is a kip.
Douglas is a kip.
Midleton I've never tried, nor Ballincollig.

I reckon they will find an operator - bored students in their apartments + cinema = money.

Chris_5339762

The one on the Grand Parade closed several years ago.
The Gate is a kip.
Douglas is a kip.
Midleton I've never tried, nor Ballincollig.

I reckon they will find an operator - bored students in their apartments + cinema = money.

Teddy455

MYOB wrote: »

Cork is FULL of cinemas. There's one in the city centre, one in Mahon, one in Douglas, one in Blackpool, bit further out and there's one in Midleton, one in Ballincollig, one in Mallow (similar sizes and distances out from Dublin sometimes don't have one - e.g. Maynooth!)

Good luck to them in finding an operator for it, I doubt Gate or Reel will open another up close to their existing ones, ditto Ward Anderson. UCI is the last choice.

However seeing as its foreign money being spent on it and not NAMA or our banks trying to finish something off, let them at it...

The cinema will be well used as it is at the other side of the city center and as it is closer to the main shopping streets.

AugustusMinimus

Since both the Pav and Capitol closed, there has been no cinema in Cork City centre.

Gate is at the end of North Main street and is well away from the Shopping Areas as people are saying. If this new cinema does open, it will finish off the Gate.

Amtmann

The Gate is but a quick stroll away from Patrick Street. Cork city centre is tiny.

L1011

Teddy455 wrote: »

The cinema will be well used as it is at the other side of the city center and as it is closer to the main shopping streets.

Most cinema attendance is not done during shopping hours... parking is far more important than where shops are these days. Take note of where Dublin's city main multiplex is - down the wrong end of a street with very few shops on it.

Did the Capitol not close because of competition from Mahon etc?

Amtmann

MYOB wrote: »

Did the Capitol not close because of competition from Mahon etc?

Not sure about that. I last saw a movie in the Capitol in early 2005 (The Grudge or The Constant Gardener, I think, not that it matters) and it closed down shortly after that if I remember correctly. I think Mahon Point opened in '06.

invinciblePRSTV

Another nail in the coffin of the Cork Docklands redevelopment.

Aard

The stronger the city centre is, the more viable its spread is. As this Brewery Quarter is privately funded, even better. It effectively diminishes available space in the established city, forcing future business to search elsewhere (Docklands). In addition, it adds to the allure of the city centre, making people want to live closer to it (Docklands). If you spread a city too early, both parts old and new struggle and compete, rather than complement. Not saying that the Docklands would struggle without this, but it's certainly not a hinderance.

I really don't think there's anything about this that could kill off the Atlantic Quarter idea. At any rate, it's 1.8ha doesn't compare to the 150-odd of the latter.

Amtmann

One thing that concerns me is that Grand Parade is still essentially dead. It's full of boarded up buildings. If shops won't set up there, why will they set up in the proposed Brewery Quarter?

AugustusMinimus

Tremelo wrote: »

One thing that concerns me is that Grand Parade is still essentially dead. It's full of boarded up buildings. If shops won't set up there, why will they set up in the proposed Brewery Quarter?

The Grand Parade Hotel and The Capitol Cinema are boarded up. That's about it.

Capitol Cinema was closed down in anticipation of a new shopping centre which would have tied in with the English market.

I think a good move would be to move the City library to the former Tax offices on Sullivan Quay. THere is a plan to rebuild the building on the current location. Instead, turn it into a retail developent.

dowlingm

I'd be a bit worried about traffic in that area - narrow streets, parking hard to come by.

As for moving the library to the tax office - talk about a good way to dissuade people from using it. Depressing place. At least the Central branch opens on Mondays these days.

A library can be a "retail" space as much as Argos or Boots - god forbid we have a bit of civic infrastructure amongst the mammon. Indeed, the Blackpool and Douglas libraries are good examples of this. Now if only a fundraising arm similar to this could be got going to allow Cork City Libraries to eliminate membership fees or at least have longer opening hours in all the branches.

Michael..

Great news for Cork !!

I hope to god there is no delays or objections. I heard that some archaeological crowd are none too happy about the location. That area is totally run down, it badly needs investment - the proposed redevelopment would be ideal.

If this project fails to materialize that area of the city will be left idle for another ten years - it's in pretty bad shape as it is. I hope the council do their utmost to make this happen. It'll be great for the city.

Incidentally, Eoin O'Callaghan is due to get a decision on his proposed event centre for Albert Quay in the next couple of weeks. It'll be interesting to see what view the council take considering they gave the go-ahead for the Brewery Quater.

Aidan1

For all of the slagging that Cork City Council get, most of which is entirely deserved, they've succeeded in arriving at the end of the boom period with the best looking city centre in the country - what development has occurred has generally been of very high quality, and ties in well with the rest of the city. Still some very shabby buildings, and some bits that could do with a good rub of a dozer, but thats in the nature of things.

I'm not sure about this one though - I'd be delighted to have a centre of this type there, but I think the design is awful - that big blank frontage facing the river is as blunt as hell. I think you could do a lot better with the site - and I think Cork deserves better too.

Michael..

Aidan1 wrote: »

I'm not sure about this one though - I'd be delighted to have a centre of this type there, but I think the design is awful - that big blank frontage facing the river is as blunt as hell. I think you could do a lot better with the site - and I think Cork deserves better too.

I totally agree with you. The design of the event centre isn't the best, although the rest of the development looks quite good.

I think Cork City has waited way too long for a purpose built event centre. There has been numerous proposals and false starts over the years - I hope this isn't another one.

I would certainly be willing to compromise on the design to get such a great amenity for the city.

AugustusMinimus

Anyone have pictures of the development ?

Michael..

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Anyone have pictures of the development ?

Here is the planning application that was lodge with the council.
There is loads of images and drawings of the propose development.

Unfortunately you have to download a plugin to view the files - the link is at the end of the council's page.

Chuck Stone

It was a personal bugbear of mine that Cork City did not have an event centre. Having to travel to Belfast, Dublin, Millstreet and Killareny to see big ticket events was such a pain in the nuts.

It's about time. Great news.

bk

MYOB wrote: »

Good luck to them in finding an operator for it, I doubt Gate or Reel will open another up close to their existing ones, ditto Ward Anderson. UCI is the last choice.

Cineworld perhaps?

They have only one cinema in Ireland and it is one of their busiest and most profitable across UK and Ireland. They really know how to run a cinema, pretty much packed every single night due to their unlimited card.

They could really clean up if they come to Cork.

L1011

Both Cineworld (and UGC/Virgin before them) and Vue (and Ster before them...) seem to be happy to sit on their single, practically ATM-like, massive multiplexes here.

AugustusMinimus

Tremelo wrote: »

The Gate is but a quick stroll away from Patrick Street. Cork city centre is tiny.

Build a cinema around Patrick Street, Grande Parade or Washington Street and it would finish off the Gate.

The only thing the Gate used to have going for it was that it was modern and wasn't a kip like the Capitol. The only thing it has going for it now is that it's the only cinema in the city centre.

Amtmann

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

Build a cinema around Patrick Street, Grande Parade or Washington Street and it would finish off the Gate.

The only thing the Gate used to have going for it was that it was modern and wasn't a kip like the Capitol. The only thing it has going for it now is that it's the only cinema in the city centre.

I haven't been to the Gate in over a year. Has it deteriorated so much? I thought it was fine the last time I was there.

marmurr1916

Could be room for an arthouse cinema in Cork, rather than just another boring mainstream multiplex.

I know the Kino closed but that wasn't necessarily solely due to lack of audiences.

wandatowell

Tremelo wrote: »

Cork city centre is tiny.

Ai, but it has a big heart

L1011

Tremelo wrote: »

I haven't been to the Gate in over a year. Has it deteriorated so much? I thought it was fine the last time I was there.

I presume he means its not got the Capitol to be more modern than rather than it having deteriorated down to not being modern. Although I've not been in it myself in an age so maybe it has!

AugustusMinimus

Tremelo wrote: »

I haven't been to the Gate in over a year. Has it deteriorated so much? I thought it was fine the last time I was there.

Nope. Hasn't really deteriorated at all.

I'm just saying that it's main selling point when the Capitol was open was that it was and is modern. At the moment is simply has no competition at all.

Open a modern cinema in a more central location in the City centre and I would imagine the Gate would lose out big time.

Michael..

Any up-date on this...???