The controversial redevelopment of a 5.5-acre plot from O’Connell Street to Moore Street, some of which has remained empty for nearly half a century, has been green-lit by An Bord Pleanála. Hammerson, a UK-based property consortium, lodged three proposals in June 2021 for a diverse combination of retail, office and housing units on this substantial city block, formerly labelled as the Carlton site.
The proposals received initial approval from Dublin City Council in the early stages of 2022, but faced objections from a variety of Moore Street conservation organisations, local enterprises as well as Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald. A little over two and a half years later, the board has generally upheld the council’s resolutions, with the exception of extending the operating time, providing Hammerson with up to a 12-year window to commence on-site activities.
The most contentious aspect of the trio of applications pertains to sites surrounding the 1916 Rising National Monument at 14-17 Moore Street. These particular structures, owned by the State, are slated for a separate development, transforming them into a Rising Commemorative Centre at an estimated cost of €16.25 million. Several factions sought wider protections for edifices encircling the monument. Still, Hammerson’s requests for modifications and demolitions have received board approval.
An archway construction adjacent to the national monument, which was the subject of objections, also has been approved within this application. The second proposal, addressing buildings on Henry Street and Moore Street’s southern end, includes the erection of a nine-storey hotel and the demolition of two buildings.
The third application covers a site near Moore Street’s northern extremity at O’Rahilly Parade, featuring a single six-storey building and partial development of a public plaza.
The National Monument-related application will have validity for seven years, while the remaining two have a duration of 12 years. Hammerson is expected to file three more applications to complete further segments of this expansive site.
James Connolly Heron, a representative for the Moore Street Preservation Trust and Relatives of the 1916 Signatories, expressed his dismay at the board’s decisions, yet affirmed that the fight to secure Moore Street — a site of immense historical significance — was unending. He also revealed plans by the trust to carefully scrutinise the decision of An Bord Pleanála and subsequently decide on their course of action.
Donna Cooney, a councillor from the Green Party and one of the 1916 relatives, expressed her worries about the lengthy period allocated for the site’s permissions. In her opinion, the revitalisation of Moore Street and its market was unlikely with a 12-year construction duration, effectively transforming it into a derelict zone. Furthermore, Cooney cautioned that the protracted timeline for the construction project might threaten the survival of multiple businesses in the vicinity. She also anticipated potential legal challenges to the board’s decision by businesses.
Hammerson, in 2019, had reversed its 2010 blueprint for a €1.25 billion shopping complex on Moore Street and opted for an unrestricted design. The revised plan would rejuvenate the street’s historical architecture, incorporate a nouvelle pedestrian road between O’Connell Street and Moore Street, and feature new civic spaces, retail outlets, offices, residences, hotels, and an underground station for the forthcoming Metrolink rail line.