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PLANS HAVE BEEN submitted to demolish two large office buildings in the centre of Dublin and replace them with an “environmentally sustainable new office quarter”.
Hawkins House and Apollo House on the corner of Tara Street and Poolbeg Street will be knocked down and replaced with newer office buildings that the OPW says will allow for a public plaza at the centre of the block.
The plans propose opening up a pedestrian route from Tara Street to College Green. At present, no such route exists and pedestrians are forced to walk around the buildings.
The Hawkins House building currently houses the head office of Department of Health and is often described as ‘Dublin’s ugliest building‘. It dates from 1962 and is located on the site of the former Theatre Royal.
The building is currently 11 storeys tall with the redevelopment seeing it reduced to a maximum of 10 storeys.
It’s planned that there’ll space for a café/restaurant on the ground floor and a public space with some greenery at the boundary near the former Screen Cinema.
Apollo House was previously used by the Department of Social Protection who vacated it last year. Its redevelopment will see it turned into a office building ranging in height from between five and 12 storeys with ground floor space for both retail and food outlets.
Both buildings will have some underground parking and will provide cycle access with showering and toilet facilities for workers in the building.
Speaking today as the plans were launched, Minister of State for the OPW Seán Canney said that this major plan is a big chance for the city.
“This development represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a new vibrant commercial and government office quarter in the city of Dublin,” he said
It is clear that Hawkins House is now obsolete and no longer meets the demand for modern flexible workspace. The development of this site will provide up to 60% more office space, will offer significant savings in running costs and will facilitate my office to reach sustainability targets and free up older leased buildings throughout the city.
The plan is approved by Nama who and the receivers appointed to the property. Nama chief executive Brendan McDonagh described it as “an exciting project” that is,
consistent with the receivers’ aim to maximise the return and to deliver much-needed high-quality commercial space.
Lead architects in the design team are Dublin-based architecture firm Henry J. Lyons with Mola Architecture designing the public space.
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The more of life I see the more I realise that how our life’s pans out is pot luck in some cases. One bad decision or bit of bad luck could mean the difference between having a relatively good & happy life or maybe being like so many unfortunate people, with no place to call home, there but for the Grace of God (or whoever) go I.
I thought Eamon was genuine. It was a nice thing to say. A society is judged by how it takes care of the less fortunate. The Dutch put it succinctly. They distinguish between rich countries (eg. Usa) and what they call “welvarend samenleving” = “well sailing society”. Sweden and Denmark suscribe also to this concept. The idea is when the vast majority are doing well it is better than a small number doing exceedingly well. Given the strength of the Dutch Economy they would appear to be correct.
Large cities like Dublin should take a leaf out of the book used in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. U cannot buy the land under ur house. U get a 99 year lease called “erfpacht”. This eliminates land speculation. Otherwise all property in A’dam, R’dam, the Hague would be impossible to buy for normal people. The Council Controls the land. Construction Companies bid for projects, build them but make no money from land speculation. Result: stable property prices=good.
He’s a spoofer the best of times, certainly regarding football. But his passion and empathy is genuine and sincere in my opinion anyway
Ah Christmas. Half-cut celebrities caring about the homeless over pints in Dublin’s finest pubs.
When you put it like that…
Can’t get decent Coke in this town.
We could have a great world if those who earned the most volunteered the most aid and shelter.
What have you done to assist?
campaigned and donated albeit sparingly. many with money are the ones who are all talk..
Fair play, people are very begrudging of people with a few Bob though and think they should donate it all and do nothing themselves.
The difference being I wouldnt begrudge those who made it honestly or try to live generously but the wealth divide is a poison and its not going to change.
@ Sean Domhnall, by virtue of the fact that those people who earn the most also pay the most taxes, surely that means that proportionately they are actually contributing most to the country’s coffers indirectly?
Sean and those who earn the most money have worked their asses off to get to where they are. There is always going to be a wealth devise. Those who go to collage, get jobs and take risks will be awarded financially. These people are also employers. Then you have those who sit on the dole so the divide will always be there.
Hey phil… can I ask which category you belong to?
Phil. Not in agreement with you, the Government get paid a Mountain of money and look at the state of the Country. But if you are happy……..
Phil, what about those that bust their asses their entire lives just to break even? What do you make of them?
Eh Phil firstly there are a lot of enormously wealthy people who never went to college. Secondly wealthy people rarely risk their own money, they risk other peoples money. Yes they do get jobs so one out of three not bad.
Surely your not so innocent as to believe that?
eh Mary, Phil if you’ll believe that spin undiluted you’ll believe anything. Eyes of the Irish are finally open there’s no sense in talking fair tax systems now, we know who benefits from this republic. Btw Plenty who earn the most money exploited many to get where they are.
I’ll give you Alan Kellys number.
Of course it’s possible but it’s never going to happen……. The genuine homeless who are homeless through no fault of their own need a break….. But there are homeless people that are on the streets because they drank the rent or stuck it in there arm or just are utter s c u m who were a nightmare to live next door to … let them rot .
Wind. there but for the grace God go I and all that.
Like a Miss World contestant. World Peace also, Eamo?
@ Patrick Hurley, I find your comment very insensitive. Eamon seems very genuine in his wish. Also wouldn’t world peace be wonderful if it was ever to happen? Anything that lessens the pain and suffering some of our fellow human beings have to endure can surely only be a good thing?
It’s empty rhetoric, Mary. Like Pat Kenny and his one night amongst the poor homeless souls. It makes Eamonn feel better to say that he cares about this. It doesn’t help the homeless one iota.
BREAKING NEWS… Mary finds Mr Hurley “very insensitive”..
Mary.
You need to relax.
Some people are just waiting to be offended.
i used to admire Eamon (past tense)
he told the unpopular truth about Michelle Smith
he told the unpopular truth about Bertie
then he told us to vote for Martin McGuinness
Pat, Mary is right. Eamon is genuine even he has not the answers. The answer is an erfpacht system for Dublin City as I described above. Large cities in Europe had this problem 100 years ago and this was the standard solution in many countries incl. Holland and Germany.
Back in 1996, Eamonn was earning over 100k punts from the Sindo. That was serious cheddar back then.
On serious lids in RTE as well. 350k according to the figures in 2012.
Can’t handle his drink
BAAAAAAAAA!!! You clowns would comment on anything
Stephen” buy my book” ferris…. Scraping the barrel….was Timmy Bowe not available for once to flog “his” designs?
Poor Eamon has a lot of shame but using the airways and the homeless as a confessional won’t help him or the homeless.
Hilarious…NOT !!!!
on this point he is dead right. if there was a will to do something this could be sorted rather easily.
rather politicians on all sides have turned this issue into a political football………..the human cost is being ignored. endas shameful photo op recently or the portocabins that cost more than building a house…………never mind getting fas student to renovate and reopen existing boarded homes.
its a f###ing joke/
Could be good telly.
Pandora’s box more like? Switch it on over Christmas, stare at it and then go to bed depressed?
Celebrity Pub Crawl..!!! Honest to goodness, what will they think of next???
Eamonn Dunphy is an honest genuine Man, he cares and it shows.
Eamonn i wish you and your Family a very Happy Christmas, and i for one hope your wish comes true .
A pint of rum please lol.
Some say this guy Dunphy he,s a clown others might say he,s a shambles but I think he,s real gent well said Eamo merry christmas
Good man Eamo ❤feeling the love
Eamon gets weepy at the drop of a hat
have your say