Eoghan Murphy TD, Minister for Housing, Planning & Local Government, Paschal Donohoe TD, Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure & Reform and Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring turned the sod for the development of the first phase in the Regeneration of O’Devaney Gardens in Dublin today (4 July 2018). The first phase will deliver 56 social homes with a budget of more than €20million. The overall re-development will deliver approximately 600 homes, with a mix of tenures, social, affordable and private homes.
Under Rebuilding Ireland, the Regeneration of O’Devaney Gardens is a Pathfinder project, showcasing the provision of large scale, mixed tenure housing in an inner city setting[1]. It is one of three development sites that Dublin City Council owns and offers the combined potential to provide over 1,600 homes. These sites offer the opportunity to create three new, high quality urban quarters. The other two sites are at St Michael’s Estate in Inchicore and at Oscar Traynor Road in Coolock.
The strategic location of this site within the city (close to the amenities of the Phoenix Park, Heuston Station and the city centre itself) and the potential that exists for greater synergies to Stoneybatter and Grangegorman will be promoted in the development. It will be a high quality residential quarter comprising quality new homes supported by a complimentary range of mixed commercial, community and recreational facilities.
During the turning of the sod, Minister Murphy said:
I am delighted to turn the first sod on these new homes for tenants of Dublin City Council. It is also a good day for the regeneration of this area. Regeneration goes beyond mere bricks and mortar and in order to be successful and sustainable in the long term, requires the re-building of a community and a strengthening of community bonds. These new social homes will be built to the latest standards and the highest quality and I’m sure the tenants will be delighted with them when they are finished. Arrangements are well in train to complete the development of the remainder of the site.
Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD said:
It is a privilege to be here today for the commencement of this important regeneration development, in the heart of Dublin City. This Pathfinder Project, adjacent to both Luas lines and other transport links, has the potential to be a model for sustainable communities, with mixed tenure accommodation, co-located with educational, social and cultural amenities. The regeneration of O’Devaney Gardens will provide much needed social and affordable homes in a thriving quarter of the nation’s capital. I commend the hard work of both Dublin City Council and the Department of Housing Planning & Local Government in bringing the development this far.
Speaking at the event, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring said:
It gives me great pleasure to be here today for the turning of the sod for this long awaited regeneration of O’Devaney Gardens. I commend the work of all those who were involved in bringing this project to this stage including Central Government, who have provided funding and the local community who have waited patiently for the work to begin. This project will re-generate this part of the city by providing quality homes which will enhance the lives of those who are from here and those who will live here in the future.
Notes for Editors
O’ Devaney Gardens
Overview of Phase 1A & Housing Land Initiative
- O’Devaney Gardens is one of three development sites that Dublin City Council intend to bring to the market under the Housing Land Initiative, which offer the combined potential to provide over 1,600 homes and the opportunity to create three new, high quality urban quarters. The other two sites are at St. Michaels Estate, in Inchicore and at Oscar Traynor Road in Coolock.
- The City Council is the owner of the O’Devaney Gardens site located to the west of Dublin City Centre, just 3km from O’Connell Street. The site is bounded to the north by the rear gardens of properties that front onto North Circular Road, to the south by residential properties in Montpellier Gardens and Montpellier Park and to the east by lands that comprise St Bricin’s Military Hospital and residential development in the Oxmanastown/Stoneybatter area. The proposed development site incorporates a portion of the St Bricin’s Military Hospital site which was acquired by the City Council to aid the delivery of housing.
- The site was originally developed as a social housing scheme in 1954 with 278 apartments in 13 four storey blocks. The site was to have been redeveloped under a public-private partnership between the Council and a private developer, but that deal collapsed in 2008 following the economic downturn. At that time the site was largely cleared to make way for the redevelopment with tenants being rehoused and blocks demolished. In 2010, the Council produced a Masterplan for the gross site of O’Devaney Gardens and the Masterplan was further revised in November 2016. The City Council issued Part 8 permission in 2016 for the demolition of the remaining four apartment buildings on the site.
- The site was included in the Report to the Housing, Planning and International Relations Strategic Policy Committee; Housing Land Initiative Feasibility Study dated December 2015 and updated in September 2016 (Feasibility Study). The Feasibility Study set out the key development objectives for the site including residential tenure mix.
· The site at O’Devaney Gardens is zoned ‘Z14’ – a Strategic Development and Regeneration Area in the Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022 with a stated objective ‘To seek the Social, economic and physical development and/or rejuvenation of an area with mixed use of which residential and Z6 (employment) would be prominent uses.’
· The gross site area of O’ Devaney Gardens is 5.76 ha (14.01 acres). Phase 1A of the scheme uses a portion of the site which extends to 1.8 acres on the North West corner of the site bordered by the North Circular Road to the north and by Findlater Street to the west and consists of 56 units, broken down as follows:
o 22 No. 3 bed houses which can accommodate between 5 and 6 people.
o 22 No. 2 bed apartments which can accommodate between 3 and 4 people.
o 6 No. 3 bed apartments that can accommodate 5 people
o 6 No. 1 bed apartments which can accommodate 2 people
· Construction work to deliver these 56 social homes is commencing on site in July 2018.