DUBLIN City Council is to decide next Monday if it will approve plans for a Hilton hotel on a largely disused site at the edge of College Green in central Dublin.
Hilton is planning a five star hotel covering most of the AIB owned island site between College Street, Westmoreland Street and Fleet Street. The hotel would have 173 bedrooms as well as conference facilities, restaurants, bars and meeting rooms.
An Taisce and the Dublin Civic Group have objected to the plan because it would mean the demolition of listed buildings and the retention only of the facades of others. They have also expressed concern about the height and bulk of the proposed hotel.
Given that the £35 million project has been deemed to be in contravention of the city plan, because it involves demolishing listed buildings, three quarters of the 52 councillors would have to vote in favour if permission is to be granted.
The developers, Treasury Holdings Ltd, have characterised the vote as D Day for Dublin", saying the choice facing the City Council is between a "world class hotel" or 100,000 square feet of offices, for which they already have full planning permission.
The councillors' decision was certain to have more far reaching implications than most people imagine". What they would be voting on, in effect his whether or not to continue our capital city's progression to the forefront of the world map", say the developers.
Calling on councillors to take a "sensible" line, the developers quoted the outgoing city manager, Mr Frank Feely - who retires tomorrow - as saying that it was probably the most important decision that they will ever have to take in the development of the city". If the Hilton project got the go ahead, they said it would be a major boost for tourism in Dublin. It would also create 150 full time jobs, encourage further investment and bring life to a neglected area of the city after office hours and at weekends.
It would also have positive implications for the rest of the island. "The fact that Hilton Hotels have been given permission to build in Belfast means that its presence in Dublin would form an important social link between North and South at this critical juncture".
Treasury Holdings, which is owned by developers John Ronan and Richard Barrett, said Hilton was currently "scanning" Ireland for another suitable hotel site. "Where we go from here very much hinges on that vote on May 3th", they declared.
If the project is rejected, the developers will appeal to An Bord Pleanala. But if it, too, refuses permission, they will go ahead with the office scheme approved by the appeals board in 1993.
