Developers in Cork seek to increase new residential and student accommodation schemes
Monday, February 25, 2019 -
By Sean O'Riordan
The developers behind two major residential developments in Cork city have applied to significantly increase the size of their proposed projects.
Approval for the two developments would represent a massive injection in Cork city's under-pressure apartment stock.
The developers behind the €160 million HQ office and residential project in the city docklands have requested to increase the number of apartments on the site from 212 to more than 300.
Cork City Council has also, meanwhile, received applications from the developers of a student apartment development on the former Coca-Cola bottling plant on the Carrigrohane Road to increase the number of apartments to more than 160.
HQ Developments Ltd, a joint venture between Clarendon Properties and BAM Ireland, is seeking to revamp its planned development at Horgan's Quay on the city's north docks.
They were granted permission to build 216 apartments, a 136-bed hotel and office space for 5,000 people on a 6.1-acre site next to Kent train station last year. By the end of 2018, demolition had commenced and work underway to progress elements of the scheme.
The 216 'build-to-rent' apartments were proposed in four separate blocks in the scheme which also included a creche and several public plazas, as well as retail space.
In a major alteration to the original scheme, the developers are seeking to amalgamate the apartments into a single apartment building, increasing the number of apartments by 86 to 302.
They have proposed to increase the height of the building which is currently approved to range from six to ten floors. They are also seeking to move and increase the size of a planned creche, with developers also proposing to increase the number of bicycle spaces in the final development, as well as decreasing the number of car spaces.
There will also be an increase in retail space if the revisions are approved.
The €160 million redevelopment is one of the most ambitious in the city centre and is viewed as a crucial component in the revamp of Cork's docklands.
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Meanwhile, in relation to the Carrigrohane Road project, promoters Future Generation Bottle Factory Limited secured planning permission to build a 92-apartment complex to provide484-bed spaces across four to seven floors.
The applicants are seeking an additional 75 apartments, providing 139 extra beds, and have also requested an increase in height from six to ten storeys.
The new plan involves a reconfiguration of the layout at ground floor level which would omit four apartments and instead provide increased student amenity areas, and also make provision for a roof level amenity area/terrace on the sixth floor.