A high rise residential and commercial development is being proposed for the windmill site in Dublin's Digital Hub in Dublin 8. Edel Morgan reports.
P Elliott & Company, which paid over €38 million for the 3.2-acre site, is about to submit a planning application to Dublin City Council for a massive mixed-use development spread over nine buildings.
The site is located on the north side of Thomas Street and extends down Watling Street to Bonham Street and includes the landmark Windmill Tower, as well as the Bank of Ireland branch on the corner of Thomas Street and Watling Street.
The development would be spread over nine buildings which would see the former windmill, a protected structure, refurbished to accommodate a restaurant, shop, exhibition space and a roof garden.
The developer is looking to build 269 apartments, 6,400sq m (68,889sq ft) of digital media office space, over 7,000sq m (75,347sq ft) of general office space, 2,800sq m (30,139sq ft) of retail and service floor space, a crèche, gym and cultural space.
The buildings would be mostly six-to-eight storeys but with two high rise elements. A block fronting Thomas Street beside the IAWS site would be 16 storeys and another fronting Bonham Street has a 15-storey element.
A new pedestrian link is proposed between Bonham Street and Thomas Street, as well as civic space between the windmill and one of the blocks.
The development would also include three double basements with 276 car-parking spaces and 540 bicycle spaces.
The windmill, also known as the conical tower, is not the only protected structure on the site.
There is also a period building, 164 Thomas Street, beside the Bank of Ireland which will also be refurbished.
The developer is looking to demolish a number of buildings on the site, including number 157 Thomas Street.
The Dublin 8 area has being undergoing major redevelopment with almost every large site under construction or going through the planning process.
The immediate area is to get a new cultural quarter, called SoHo, with a creative corridor along Thomas Street, as well as a new urban civic space around Cornmarket.
