A CONSORTIUM which owns the Faculty Building on Shelbourne Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, is to make another attempt to secure planning permission to redevelop the site.
Property developers Bernard McNamara and Gerry O’Reilly and property advisor David Courtney have applied through a company called Kirmburn for permission to demolish the six-storey office block and replace it with a five and eight-storey building with a total floor area of 9,952sq m (107,122sq ft). The overall height of the building would be nine storeys with a three-level basement to accommodate 50 car-parking spaces, 100 bicycle spaces, storage and plant room.
The plan provides for setback at fifth and six floor levels for roof terraces and a green roof.
The consortium, which bought Faculty House from the Office of Public Works for just under €35.9 million at the height of the Ballsbridge buying frenzy in March 2006, was refused permission to redevelop the site a year later. Kirmburn sought permission to demolish the six-storey high wing of Faculty House, together with the perimeter walls to the south-east and south-west elevations. They were then planning to develop a new eight-storey extension to the side of the demolished wing, as well as adding two additional floors over the retained wing, in the process adding a gross area of 4,160sq m (44,778sq ft) to the existing building.
Dublin City Council ruled that under the then zoning the office scheme would “by reason of the excessive plot ratio” result in significant intensification of a non-conforming land use.
