Disneyland Dublin theme park for North side

DaithiSurfer

5 times bigger than Euro Disney Theme park to be built North of Swords.
What will this do for business in the area?
Maybe there will be decent transport into town now.
Anyone else hear about this.

http://www.unison.ie/fingal_independent/

BKtje

Was discussing this last night with a few friends and we couldn't believe it. (well i couldn't).

I wouldn't have thought that we'd have a) the weather b) the population (tho i suppose they'd be aiming for foreigners) and c) Paris already has a Disneyland type place. (Disneyland Paris)

Could someone explain this a little more for me as i haven't subscribed to that site.

DaithiSurfer

Dineyworld in Florida is only really busy for 3 months of the year anyway.
I think a lot of the attractions would be indoors now, as the us theme parks are building indorors now as well.
You could fly from anywhere in europe and back on the same day if you wanted with the cheap flights now on offer. It would be right beside the airport.10 mins drive.

Its not as mad an idea as it sounds.

If ryanair had a hand in this park they could offer cheap fly and stay packages.



Here is the article:

ONE of the biggest theme parks in the world has been earmarked for a 2000 acre site in a rural part of North County Dublin.
Developers have begun talks with the dozens of local landowners near Lusk as they attempt to secure the massive land bank for the prime development, set to cost billions.
One landowner stands to make E23m if the ambitious plans are successful.
It is believed those behind the move have already made initial contact with Fingal County Council in relation to their projected plans for the park.
‘It seems too good to be true,’ remarked one local source this week. ‘but they have met face to face with local farmers and seem very keen to push this thing through.’
He indicated that farmers would be ‘mad’ to turn down the type of money those behind the project are offering.
At around E110,000 an acre, some locals would be set up for life and at least a dozen would become multi millionaires overnight.
It is believed that the developer has offered to pay double the value of any homes that may have to make way for the bulldozers. There are up to 40 houses in the general area.
Reports of meetings between an intermediary and the landowners surfaced last week and were later confirmed by local sources. Those meetings are continuing this week as firm proposals are arrived at.
Preliminary work on the project could take two years, especially with the planning process and it would be a further three years before the development would be complete.
Those prepared to bankroll the park are believed to be an Irish businessman and two foreign investors, both of whom are well-known in the commercial world and would be respected worldwide.
Some groundwork has already been undertaken with a helicopter flying over the area recently, mapping the landscape in the Lusk region with a view to plotting the best location.
The project is deemed so large that negotiations with landowners begin at Corduff, about three miles from Swords and stretch to areas such as The Five Roads, Ballough, Ballyboughal, Wimbleton, Walshestown as well as The Nevitt and even west of the motorway itself.
At least one landowner is believed to have expressed some reservations with regard to selling up his homestead although the scale of the project means others can come into the equation as there is no major housing development on that side of the road, apart from the houses at Coldcot which are west of the motorway.
Indeed local property prices would soar if the project progresses beyond the initial planning stages, as has been the case in places such an Anaheim in California and the region around Disneyland, Paris which is 19 miles from the nearest airport.
‘It’s remarkable to think that Disneyland, Paris is just 250 acres and this park could be eight times that size if they get all the land they are seeking,’ the source stated.
It has been indicated that the theme park would contain a hotel complex, much in line with the top attractions around the world.
ONE of the biggest theme parks in the world has been earmarked for a 2000 acre site in a rural part of North County Dublin.
Developers have begun talks with the dozens of local landowners near Lusk as they attempt to secure the massive land bank for the prime development, set to cost billions.
One landowner stands to make E23m if the ambitious plans are successful.
It is believed those behind the move have already made initial contact with Fingal County Council in relation to their projected plans for the park.
‘It seems too good to be true,’ remarked one local source this week. ‘but they have met face to face with local farmers and seem very keen to push this thing through.’
He indicated that farmers would be ‘mad’ to turn down the type of money those behind the project are offering.
At around E110,000 an acre, some locals would be set up for life and at least a dozen would become multi millionaires overnight.
It is believed that the developer has offered to pay double the value of any homes that may have to make way for the bulldozers. There are up to 40 houses in the general area.
Reports of meetings between an intermediary and the landowners surfaced last week and were later confirmed by local sources. Those meetings are continuing this week as firm proposals are arrived at.
Preliminary work on the project could take two years, especially with the planning process and it would be a further three years before the development would be complete.
Those prepared to bankroll the park are believed to be an Irish businessman and two foreign investors, both of whom are well-known in the commercial world and would be respected worldwide.
Some groundwork has already been undertaken with a helicopter flying over the area recently, mapping the landscape in the Lusk region with a view to plotting the best location.
The project is deemed so large that negotiations with landowners begin at Corduff, about three miles from Swords and stretch to areas such as The Five Roads, Ballough, Ballyboughal, Wimbleton, Walshestown as well as The Nevitt and even west of the motorway itself.
At least one landowner is believed to have expressed some reservations with regard to selling up his homestead although the scale of the project means others can come into the equation as there is no major housing development on that side of the road, apart from the houses at Coldcot which are west of the motorway.
Indeed local property prices would soar if the project progresses beyond the initial planning stages, as has been the case in places such an Anaheim in California and the region around Disneyland, Paris which is 19 miles from the nearest airport.
‘It’s remarkable to think that Disneyland, Paris is just 250 acres and this park could be eight times that size if they get all the land they are seeking,’ the source stated.
It has been indicated that the theme park would contain a hotel complex, much in line with the top attractions around the world.

BKtje

Sounds kinda like a piss take, how reliable is the source?

De Rebel

Originally posted by B-K-DzR
how reliable is the source?

Given some of the stuff that comes from the stable to which the Fingal Independent belongs, probably not all that reliable. August would be something of a low season for news.


Anyway, hasn't North Dublin had a major fun park for years, somewhere out around Kinsealy, ISTR.

DaithiSurfer

Well there are no sources or interested parties quoted in the article.
Thats Just one reason the writer should be fired.
I would imagine its a see it to believe type story.
But wouldn't it be cool.
You can get the Dart to rollercoasters instead of flying for hours. wooh hoo.

dmeehan

sounds like rubbish
and even if it were true it would never get planning permission

shepthedog

Definitely pie in the sky.... Theme park in Dublin...pleeezzz be realistic

Yoda

Mmmmm. Just imagine all the litter.

Victor

Originally posted by Yoda
Mmmmm. Just imagine all the litter.

No an issue - the Rogerstown dump is quite close

dazberry

I can see the imported tumble-weed rolling around the 2000 acre site in the wind already

D.

Victor

I wonder if the "investors" includes Tony O'Reilly (Chairman IN&M, woner of The Irish Independent)

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/1286626?view=Eircomnet

Consortium buying land for €7bn theme park
From:The Irish Independent
Thursday, 28th August, 2003
Martha Kearns, Treacy Hogan and Gene McKenna

A GIGANTIC theme park, twice the size of the Phoenix Park, is being planned for a site north of Dublin.

A consortium is trying to acquire 2,000 acres for the €7bn Disney-style development which it says would generate 25,000 jobs.

An intermediary for the investors is offering €115,000 per acre for agricultural land around Lusk - nearly 20 times the going price.

Dozens of farmers in the area have already been approached and home-owners are being promised double the value of their properties. Lusk is just a few miles north of Dublin airport. It is on a railway line and is close to the M1 motorway.

It is understood that if the plan goes ahead, it will be the single biggest construction project ever undertaken in the State.

The group behind the venture are believed to be a syndicate of prominent Irish and foreign investors. It is believed the same group was looking at a similar plan in Rathcoole earlier this year but could not get sufficient land mass.

Fingal County Council confirmed to the Irish Independent yesterday they had preliminary discussions with representatives from the group but no planning application has yet been lodged.

Peter Gillette, executive planning officer with the council, said a meeting took place on July 22 last at the council's headquarters between officials and a frontman who outlined the plan.

The meeting was attended by Mr Gillette, Willie Soffe the county manager and Michael Galvin council economic development officer.

Mr Gillette told the Irish Independent they were informed the group wanted to build a massive theme park, covered with glass, with rides, hotels, a giant lake for water sports, tourist accommodation and apartments on a 2,000 acre land bank in the council area.

It is also believed a hospital and a major conference centre are included in the proposal.

The council official said they were told that an investment of around seven billion dollars and 25,000 jobs was involved.

According to Mr Gillette, they were given an outline proposal and a further meeting may be held in coming weeks.

If such a project were to get the green light there would be major questions surrounding accessibility on the roads network and public transport as the infrastructure implications would be enormous.

It would also require massive rezoning of north Dublin and a variation of the county development plan as large tracts of land being examined are currently zoned agricultural.

It is understood the consortium is working on the basis of securing a three-year option on the land involved. This would give them the time to try to secure the necessary planning permission.

Local Fianna Fail TD Jim Glennon met with representatives of the developers after he heard about their plans.

"When I heard they were in the area, I was amazed at what I was hearing. They were talking about a 2,000 acre site to create a theme-park in what is essentially a rural area of Lusk.

"But the only reality is that someone is going around a small pocket of north Fingal offering silly money for options on land," Mr Glennon said.

A number of people have expressed interest in the deal and last week gave the developers their solicitors' details. Others have told them they would not be selling, whatever the price.

"We have three parcels of land, one with our house on it. When we were approached about a month ago, we told him we would not be selling the one with our home but were interested in selling the other two," one farmer said.

He promised him he would get €10.9m - €115,000 for each of his 95 acres.

"We heard nothing until Friday of last week when he rang us and said that the path was cleared and they were definitely going ahead with it. He then asked us for our solicitors' details but we haven't heard anything since."

The areas being targeted include Corduff, the Five Roads, Ballough, Ballyboughal and Wimbleton.

All inhabitants in a row of 11 houses at Coldcot Cottages in Ballough were approached and told they would carry out three evaluations of the houses.

"They said they would take the middle figure of the three evaluations and double it," one local, who was approached, said.

But sources said last night the plan could run into difficulties if some landowners did not agree to sell.

One source familiar with the plan said: "The scale of what is planned is enormous but the people behind it are deadly serious about going ahead with it."

It could take up to ten years to complete and would provide a massive boost for the Fingal area which has been among the worst hit by job losses.

mollser

An intermediary for the investors is offering €115,000 per acre for agricultural land around Lusk - nearly 20 times the going price.

and

see here

"If we are serious about making housing more affordable to ordinary people it is absolutely essential that we tackle the cost of building land. The cost of a site now accounts for about 50pc of the price of a new home. Speculators have made fortunes by sitting on land banks, content to see their value increase, rather than release the sites needed to house our people."

Putting 2 and 2 together here, and possibly coming up with 17, have I not just identified a possible solution to housing affordibility??

I mean, if an acre of land can be purchased for e115k, and land is 50% of the cost of housing, well then, perhaps I should expect to live in a nice house on an acre of land in the north suburbs of Dublin for e230,000. (And I could probably sell a few potatoes on the side too )

Obviously there needs to be a bit of servicing costs, but come on -it can hardly cost that much?? (for the above example, I just want to tarmac a little bit of driveway and stick in an underground sewage - oh yeah, the leccy as well - not expensive)

Somebody is having a right oul laugh day at a lot of peoples expense. I wonder would any of our politicians know who???:rolleyes:

If this land gets rezoned for these flutes, I am bailing.

Victor

Originally posted by mollser
Obviously there needs to be a bit of servicing costs, but come on -it can hardly cost that much?? (for the above example, I just want to tarmac a little bit of driveway and stick in an underground sewage - oh yeah, the leccy as well - not expensive)

Actually it's very expensive, you can expect no bus service, shops, school, doctor, pub, garda station, etc. for 3 miles. You can also add maybe €30,000 per house for the extra services that need to be laid on.

souter

Like most people I was highly sceptical about this story - why would supposedly "household name" investors put so much money into this scheme?
As they say, money talks, bullsh*t walks.
Then it struck me - this could be one of the first climate change inspired land grab. Just considerring this summer, Ireland had a more hospitable climate than France.
Most predictions of global warning suggest Ireland and Scotland could become the Med of Europe, while the continent becomes an baking desert. In 10 years time a huge tranche of land in the new Costa del Sol (formerly North Co. Dublin) could be very valuable.
The test for this theory would be the elevation of the land being bought. Any lower than 10m than the investors will have an underwater themepark in the most desirable part of Europe.

Just a thought. Anyone have a contour map of the land benig acquired?

mollser

Actually it's very expensive, you can expect no bus service, shops, school, doctor, pub, garda station, etc. for 3 miles. You can also add maybe €30,000 per house for the extra services that need to be laid on.

jeepers- sounds like much of that suburban sprawl out west Dublin to me!!:rolleyes:


but, not having much knowledge of the size of an acre, I'm sure you could fit 5 nice detached houses on there (never mind apartment blocks), so thats the land value of each house at eur23k per house (110/5), +30k per house for servicing, thats only eur53k per house. (I have no idea how accurate eur30k is btw)

Hmmm, now I'm starting to see the attraction of becoming a property developer - right - now who do I write the cheque to???

Victor

I actually think it's too big for where they are putting it - there are few local employees. It would be better closer to the city or maybe between Balbriggan and Drogheda (Gormanstown site?).