UrbanRenewal: Dublin City Council is disposing of a prime city centre site which property sources believe could fetch in the region of €6 million.

The city council is inviting tenders by May 21st for a mixed development for the 1,230 sq m (13,239 sq ft) site at 31-36 Ormond Quay Upper, Dublin 7, and has specified it should be "of exceptional contemporary design and quality" befitting its prominent location.

The site, which is bounded by Charles Street West on one side and Ormond Place on the other, formerly contained the Charles Street health clinic which was demolished last year by the city council.

Dublin City Council says it is looking for a development with a combination of the following uses: residential, hotel, apart- hotel, office, retail, recreational, restaurant and cultural uses. Its brief decrees that "the ground floor accommodation on Ormond Quay upper and Charles Street West shall comprise active (non-residential) uses, which promote vitality and engage with the streets".

It also requires that the developer build and sublease two ground floor commercial/retail units to Dublin City Council's nominees at a nominal rent of €12.70 per year. One of the units will be at the corner of Ormond Quay and Charles Street West, extending to an area of approx 69.7 sq m (750 sq ft) and will have an over-the-shop two-bed apartment of 56 sq m (600 sq ft). The second at the corner of Ormond Quay/Ormond Place, will extend to 97.5 sq m (1,050 sq ft) with frontage to upper Ormond Quay .

Some of the requirements outlined include generous floor-to-ceiling heights at ground level, and that the design of the building should minimise direct overlooking and overshadowing of the rear yards of adjacent dwellings in Ormond Square and Charles Street West. It also requires that the infill development is sympathetic in terms of context and scale , and respects the natural curve of the River Liffey.

Not more than 50 per cent of residential units can be one-bed apartments, and above minimum floor-to-ceiling heights and floor areas are preferred .

The height of buildings should be not less than four storeys and the overall height should be subordinate to height of the dome of the Four Courts. ...

Standard planning contributions will be €11,500 per residential unit, €110 per sq m (€10 per sq ft) commercial gross floor space as well as a special levy of €1,500 per residential units, €25 per sq m (€2.32 per sq ft)of gross commercial accommodation under Section 48 of the Local Government Planning & Development Act 2000 in respect of the Markets Area Framework Plan.

Twenty per cent of the residential scheme will have to be given over to affordable housing.