Anglo building sold for €7m

The Central Bank is to move its headquarters to the unfinished Anglo Irish Bank building in Dublin’s docklands area, after it purchased the building from Nama for €7 million.

While due diligence is still to be completed, the bank intends to complete the construction of the building, which was formerly owned by Liam Carroll.

Nama took over the building on North Quay following the collapse of Mr Carroll’s property empire.

Currently, Central Bank employees are based in three different locations across the city, including at the historic building on Dublin’s Dame Street. It recently signed a five-year lease on a 5,574sq m (60,000sq ft) premises at Iveagh Court on Adelaide Road, while it also has operations at Spencer Dock.

It is understood that US bank BNY Mellon also considered locating at the skeleton office block, which had been earmarked for Anglo Irish Bank’s headquarters and has become an emblem of Ireland’s economic demise.

The Central Bank’s interest in the site was first reported in the Irish Times last year.

The Central Bank is the country’s main financial regulatory body. Since 2010 it has incorporated the office of the Financial Regulator. The Central Bank employed 1,372 people at the end of 2011, a 12 per cent increase on 2010.