Manor Park Homebuilders has submitted a planning application for a scaled down version of the "mini-Manhattan" development it was refused permission for last year in Dublin's Digital Hub in Dublin 8.
This time around the tallest building proposed for the development fronting Thomas Street West and Crane Street is 26 storeys - 20 storeys and 40 metres lower than the slender glazed tower proposed in the previous planning application which would have been the tallest building in the country.
The entire development would be 59,500sq m (640,452sq ft) with over 7,000sq m (75,347sq ft) of retail, 47,000sq m (505,903sq ft) of office space, 1,200sq m (12,917sq ft) of bar or public space, a public observatory and 25 apartments, all spread over eight blocks. This compares to a proposal for over 80,000sq m (861,112sq ft) in the previous planning application.
Designed by de Blacam and Meagher architects, the tallest tower would be 130 metres in height or 30 storeys inclusive of a four-storey garden podium. The second highest building would be 19 storeys (including the podium) or 69.5 metres and comprise of offices. The remaining buildings range between five and 15 storeys. In addition, permission is being sought to change the use of VAT House No 7, a former Guinness facility, to office, retail and bar use.
This time around Manor Park Homebuilders is not looking to build a 360-bed hotel with 85 apart-hotel units overhead and has radically reduced the number of apartments from 125. Last time around the council said the 171-metre height of the tallest tower - taller than the Spire on O'Connell Street - would "seriously impact" on the identity, character and scale of the inner city. It said it would set a precedent "for the proliferation of developments of such excessive scale" and would impact "unacceptably on adjoining properties".
Manor Park Homebuilders bought the 2.5-acre site in Dublin 8 two years ago by tender from the State. Another developer, P Elliott & Co, acquired a further 3.1 acres. Both sites sold for €118 million but the State accepted part-payment in the form of office buildings, reducing the cash payment to €72 million.
