Docklands DevelopmentA new proposal to be submitted for the Boland's Mill site includes two tall buildings, writes Gretchen Friemann
A radical new design for the sprawling 19th century Boland's Mill site in Dublin's docklands will be submitted to local authorities within the next two months after developer Sean Kelly decided to take a different approach with a new firm of architects.
Scott Tallon and Walker (STW), the company that is currently involved in the redevelopment of Landsowne Road stadium, had proposed three high-rise, 1960s-style office blocks for the scheme, ranging from 12 to 16 storeys; the plan was rejected by Dublin City Council last October on the grounds that it would be "out of scale" with the surrounding area.
In the latest application, Kelly intends to again seek planning permission for two tall buildings. However, it is understood their design will be very different to the previous proposal.
Plans for a four-star, 53-bedroom, boutique hotel have also been scrapped in favour of a residential element that will see the protected cut-stone grain store, that dates from the 1830s, turned into an apartment complex.
Kelly explained he was taking a "fresh approach" to the project and confirmed he had parted ways with STW. Another architecture firm is yet to be appointed to the €125 million scheme, but industry sources point out that the new architects are likely to be under a great deal of pressure to get this latest application approved by the planning authorities.
In November 2004, Kelly's development firm, Benton Properties, paid €42 million for the vast historic site that fronts on to the Grand Canal basin. Many in the industry speculated at the time that such a steep price could only be justified if planning permission was given for a high-rise development.
This new proposal will again include two new office blocks rising to 12 and 16 storeys, despite the fact that city officials ruled against his first submission because of its "excessive height, bulk and scale".
However, Kelly remains confident the tall buildings will not present a problem to planners as "there is already a precedent for high-rise on the site" with the existence of the towering concrete grain silos that have dominated the area's skyline since the 1950s.
Others in the industry argue the height issue is the main obstacle to the development of such a key site. As one source pointed out, the Dublin Dockland's Development Authority (DDDA), which holds joint planning authority for the area with Dublin City Council, has been far from consistent on its guidelines for where high-rise buildings should be located.
The organisation was, in fact, one of 20-plus objectors to Treasury Holdings' application for a 32-storey tower that would have directly adjoined Kelly's site.
The company, headed by Johnny Ronan and Richard Barrett, eventually withdrew the proposal before city officials gave their decision. Kelly acknowledges that if his scheme is submitted to the DDDA it will be rejected as the organisation's development plan for the area states that buildings cannot exceed eight storeys.
However, he points out that Dublin City Council has designated Heuston Station and the docklands as two suitable locations for "landmark buildings".
The 32-storey tower at Heuston Gate in Kilmainham is already under construction, but other developers have been caught out by the vague guidelines on this issue.
Last week Sean Dunne's proposal for a 32-storey skyscraper resurfaced when local councillors voted against the adoption of a draft area plan that would have accommodated the property developer's ambtious project.
