The £105 million National Conference Centre, planned for Spencer Dock, is in jeopardy following a decision by Dublin Corporation to scale down the massive high-rise scheme which the developers insist is required to finance its construction and operation.
The scheme, which is the largest urban development in the history of the State, includes the National Conference Centre (NCC) as well as 2.2 million square feet of office space, 3,000 apartments and two hotels, and retail facilities and a linear park along the Royal Canal.
Although the corporation has granted full planning permission for the NCC, believing it to be "a significant commercial and cultural benefit to the city and the entire country", it has reduced the ancillary development from 6 million to 4.6 million square feet.
Full permission has been granted for the NCC and one office block to the rear, and only outline permission for three future phases, based on a new set of development principles. The net effect is that the balance of the scheme will have to be redesigned radically.
The entire site is owned by CIE.
In a statement, the corporation said that its assessment of the scheme had shown that it was necessary to "scale back the height and bulk of many of the proposed buildings, to reduce their impact on the adjoining residential areas and to improve the environment".
It was also considered necessary to reduce very significantly the parking provision from 5,800 spaces to a maximum of 2,000 "to avoid gridlock on the surrounding road network". Greater emphasis will now be placed on the role of public transport.
The corporation also said that a large part of the overall development "cannot proceed" until the exact alignment of a strategic cross-river rail link between Spencer Dock and Barrow Street, in the Grand Canal Docks, has been decided.
It said that it would prefer to see more "family-orientated housing" on the 51-acre site, to create a sustainable community in the long term. This would require a different design approach, with provision of more open space and children's play areas.
A statement from the development consortium, headed by Treasury Holdings, said that it would be studying the corporation's decision in detail. But it warned that the planning conditions laid down would "seriously inhibit" further progress on the NCC, which could not be built and funded on an ongoing basis "without significant supporting development on the remainder of the site". The corporation's decision to reduce the scale of the development was "casting some doubt on the future of the total project".
The statement pointed out that the NCC would have to be operational by the end of next year to avail of an EU grant of £26 million. That timeframe was rapidly diminishing and the money could fall by the wayside. "Sadly, in such circumstances, so will the National Conference Centre."
The developers are certain to appeal to An Bord Pleanala, as are objectors who oppose high-rise schemes in the docklands. The corporation has said that it will defend its decision in the event of an appeal.
