Office Market:Development work has begun on Dublin's tallest office tower, a 14-storey building that will form the centrepiece of a vast residential, office and retail scheme in Sandyford.
The block - known as The Sentinel - is expected to become a landmark in the fast-changing Sandyford area when it is completed in the spring of 2009.
It will have a floor area of 13,300sq m (143,161sq ft) on the 14 floors that will stand over a basement car-park with 266 spaces.
Designed by HKR Architects, the block will have an impressive glazed atrium and all the most up-to-date features, including air conditioning and raised access floors.
The Cork-based Fleming Group is well ahead on the construction of the extensive mixed-use scheme - to be known as Rockbrook - on a key 11.4-acre site opposite the proposed new Luas station.
Joint letting agents Hooke & MacDonald and Savills HOK are to offer The Sentinel for letting in its entirety or on a floor-by-floor basis with individual floor plates ranging from 693sq m (7,459sq ft) to 1,437sq m (15,468sq ft).
For a building of this quality, the rents will be extremely competitive at €275 per sq m (€25 per sq ft) and €1,500 for car-parking spaces. Enda Moore of Hooke & MacDonald predicts that the tower block will have a "wow" factor.
"It would offer spectacular views over Dublin to Howth and back to the Wicklow Mountains (even from the lower floors) while the views from the upper floors would be unrivalled by any other building in Dublin."
Michael Healy of Savills HOK says the location beside the Luas station would ensure that workers could make a quick connection to St Stephen's Green.
The site was also extremely well served by buses, including one linking to the Dart service. The proximity to the M50 and the N11 also make the site easily accessible for car drivers.
The extensive and elaborate retail facilities in Rockbrook and in the adjoining Beacon South Quarter is bound to have a strong appeal for companies looking for relatively cheap office accommodation in a mature setting.
The Fleming Group has an annual turnover of over €300 million and is involved in an extensive range of activities including development, construction, manufacturing, industrial and tourism, such as Fota Island in Cork and Inchydoney near Clonakilty in west Cork.
The company spent a formidable €245 million on assembling the 11.3-acre Sandyford site,paying €165 million for the former Allegro site of 7.7 acres and €80 million for a smaller piece of land owned by Aldi.
