Cork could have a new main city library twice the size of the existing building within two years as a result of a deal between Cork City Council and a private developer that would involve no cash outlay by the council, Cork city manager Joe Gavin said.
The deal with Frinilla Developments would see the company take over the existing 25,000sq ft library on the Grand Parade and replace it with a building exceeding 50,000sq ft in exchange for some unused land behind the building, Mr Gavin said.
The library, which would be built by Frinilla, is part of a €300 million development proposal by the company for a site on the Grand Parade that would also include 160,000sq ft of offices, 100,000sq ft of shops, basement car parking and apartments.
Mr Gavin said the proposed new library would not extend as far back as the existing building but that extra space would be created by the building's extending to five storeys, as opposed to the current building which is three storeys high.
The library would have exhibition space, an auditorium, study/meeting rooms, language learning facilities, a music room, banks of computers and screens for DVDs.
Mr Gavin said the council had sought proposals from interested parties on how they would develop the area incorporating the library, and that five developers had made proposals.
The plan by Frinilla Developments, which owns the adjacent Grand Parade Hotel which it plans to incorporate into the project, offered the best option in terms of design, location and value for money for the new library, said Mr Gavin.
"We put up the full library site for inclusion in the project and said to developers, 'You can build on this site'. The library will lose a small part of its property at the rear but it will gain through the construction of additional floors in a new purpose-built library."
Mr Gavin said he expected the developers to seek planning permission within the next two months.
