The Health Service Executive (HSE) has acquired a prime development site in Seatown, Swords, Co Dublin, for in excess of €20 million for the provision of a new primary care centre for the area. The price paid represents a slight premium on the €19 million agent Knight Frank had been guiding when it first offered the property to the market in January, 2024.
The 16-acre site at Swords Business Park, which is close to a proposed stop on the Metrolink service, includes am 18,581sq m (200,000sq ft) office building, which was originally constructed in 1996. The building was formerly occupied by American-headquartered car rental company Hertz. Hertz put the property up for sale last year with a view to relocating its Irish operations to a smaller office facility. It is likely that the company’s decision to sell its Seatown unit came in response to its introduction of hybrid working in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and its reduced office footprint requirements.
With only about 7 per cent of Hertz’s former building occupied, it will allow the HSE the flexibility to carry out a refurbishment/extension of the building, while the balance of the 16-acre site provides significant scope to develop an extensive complex.
A spokesman for the HSE said that the site was acquired for the provision of a primary care centre for the Swords area. It is expected that a planning application for change of use will be progressed in 2026, with initial services to be provided as soon as possible after a grant of planning to healthcare use.
“When fully operational it is anticipated the primary care centre will house a broad range of services, including primary care, GP, disability and mental health services,” the spokesman said.
The property falls under the Fingal Development Plan 2023-2029, under which the entire site is zoned ”Metro and Rail Economic Corridor". The objective of this zoning is to “facilitate opportunities for . . . high-density, mixed-use employment-generating activity and commercial development”. Furthermore, it seeks to “support the provision of an appropriate quantum of residential development within the Metro and Rail Economic Corridor”. Some of the uses permitted include office, residential, retail, health centre and hospital.
[ Paul Sheeran seeking €5.5m for jewel in company’s crown just off Grafton StreetOpens in new window ]
[ Arrow Capital Partners seeks €9.75m for Longford logistics facilityOpens in new window ]
As well as being close to the proposed Seatown stop on the Metrolink, which is due to start construction in 2027, the site is also located within 500 metres of the main street in Swords village.
This provides easy access to a wide range of restaurants, cafes and shops. In addition, Dublin Airport is just 4km away from the site, while the M1 Motorway is within 2km via Junction 4.
The sale of the site was handled by Knight Frank.
