[Articles] Spencer Dock

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/4644402?view=Eircomnet

'Mini-city' rising from the docks
From:The Irish Independent
Tuesday, 14th December, 2004

THIS is a glimpse of a new €4.5bn 'mini-city' taking shape in the heart of Dublin's docklands this week.

It will have all the facilities of neighbourhoods like Ballsbridge in fashionable Dublin 4 catering for more than 3,000 householders, say the developers.

CIE which owns the 51-acre site on the south docks stands to make up to €300m from the deal.

The original plan for Spencer Dock, a controversial Manhattan-style skyline with skyscrapers soaring to 30 or more storeys, was thrown out by Bord Pleanala.

The new plan is restricted to 11-storey buildings to conform with the Dublin Docklands master plan and work finally gets underway this week.

The Spencer Dock Development Group, comprising Treasury Holdings and Point Theatre owner Harry Crosbie, yesterday insisted that skyscrapers of at least 32 storeys should have been permitted.

The development , located on the north docks on the CIE-owned site between the IFSC and the Point, will have 3,000 apartments, with 27 penthouses costing up to €3.5m each.

In addition there will be almost 200 social and affordable apartments which the developers are handing over to the city council to sell at a price to be set for those who qualify.

The tallest building will be 11 storeys, the rest will range from 7 to 8 storeys.

The basement foundations are being laid this week spanning an area three times the size of Croke Park.

CIE gets 20pc of the profits - up to €300m according to the developers.

The development will have 2.5 million square feet of offices as well as shops, bars, restaurants and a 2.5 acre central square plaza. They expect up to 6,000 people to be living there and a further 5,000 working when its finished in ten years time.

The first 500 apartments were sold out in just three days, straight off the plans with no showhouse built.

The consortium also revealed they will be bidding in the tender process for the National Conference Centre on their site, for which they have full planning permission, the only element of the original plan which survived.

John Bruder, Treasury Holdings property director, said the project designed by Scott, Tallon Walker architects, would be similar to recreating Ballsbridge or Donnybrook in a whole new high quality urban neighbourhood for the 21st century.

"This is a new city quarter. There will be five to six thousand people living here and they will have the full range of services," he added. "It will be a high quality posh area in which to reside and a prime location for office buildings."

Mr Bruder said they had argued unsuccessfully for changes relaxing restrictions on tall buildings in certain strategic locations including Spencer Dock during a review of the docklands master plan.

"We believe there is scope for one-off buildings up to 32 storeys. If you look at the IFSC there is a uniformity of building and that is boring. Spencer Dock should have had at least one seriously tall building," he said.

"We would argue very strongly that in some specific areas it is not only defensible but also good that tall buildings are allowed."

The first phase of the massive project, 600 apartments, 190 social and affordable apartments, the headquarters for PriceWaterhouse Coopers, 300,000 sq ft of offices, and the central square, is due to be completed by 2007.

Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent

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Figuring it out
From:The Irish Independent
Tuesday, 14th December, 2004

It will cost €4.5bn to build. The developers are the Spencer Dock Development company, a consortium of Treasury Holdings and Point Theatre owner Harry Crosbie.

There will be 3,000 apartments, shops, pubs, offices, and possibly a new National Conference Centre.

Some 27 penthouses will cost between €2m and €3.5m each.

There will be 190 social and affordable apartments with prices yet to be determined.

Lorcan26

no mention of the proposed station to be built there..