THE Office of Public Works has drawn up a short-list of four groups which have applied to provide 100,000 square feet of office accommodation for the Land Registry. No less than 19 companies or consortiums originally put forward development proposals, underlining the limited development opportunities in the city at the present time. With the current scarcity of city centre sites, it is understood that few of the applicants were prepared to rent the office blocks for a specific period on the basis that ownership would eventually pass to the Government. The OPW is anxious the block should be close to the Four Courts where part of the Land Registry is currently located. Other divisions are based in the Setanta Centre and Hume House in Ballsbridge.