The Michael McNamara group has withdrawn from the competition to build the National Conference Centre, leaving just two contenders in the race for the huge development project.
The deadline for tenders was yesterday, but following consultation with the two remaining interested parties, the Spencer Dock consortium and the Anna Livia consortium, the deadline has been extended to April 22nd.
The Office of Public Works (OPW), which is handling procurement up to the tendering stage, received a letter from the McNamara group stating it was withdrawing
The final decision on the huge project will be made by the OPW in conjunction with the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism. The Government is likely to sign off on whoever is awarded the contract.
While the conference centre itself is expected to be a loss-making venture, the lands surrounding the centre will become hugely attractive in terms of retail and office development.
In December 2004, the Government sought tenders from the three consortiums that had been shortlisted by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.
The group, led by construction firm Michael McNamara and the Leopardstown Club Consortium, wanted to build the centre on land owned by Horse Racing Ireland, adjacent to the Carrickmines end of the Leopardstown Racecourse.
The McNamara construction group is one of the largest such groups in the State. It is run by Bernard McNamara, one of the investors behind the recent purchase of the Superquinn group.
The Anna Livia Consortium, led by Bennett Construction, is proposing to build the centre on a site close to the Point Depot and the Port Tunnel, in the Dublin docklands. The site is owned by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.
The Spencer Dock International Conference Centre Consortium is led by Treasury Holdings and proposes building the centre on Spencer Dock.
Under the latest version of the plan, the 2,000-seat centre is to be built by 2007. The Irish Hotels Federation has said the centre could attract up to 50,000 extra visitors and generate business worth €60 million annually.
It is 15 years since the proposal for such a centre was first made and 10 years since an attempt to build one through public/private partnership ended in failure. Five years ago plans for a centre were abandoned when An Bord Pleanála rejected a scheme involving associated high-rise developments.
The Hotels' Federation believes the lack of such a centre puts Ireland at a serious disadvantage. The Dublin City Centre Business Association said the delay in building the centre was hurting Dublin's economy "day by day".
