Developer Johnny Ronan's Ronan Group is planning to sell 101 apartments at an estimated cost of €66.69 million for social housing to Dublin City Council at part of its ambitious plan to construct the two tallest buildings in the State.
The planned package includes the sale of a two-bedroom apartment, with an indicative cost of €964,030, to the council, as part of the Ronan Group’s Waterfront South Central scheme for Dublin’s docklands.
The estimated costings are contained in ‘fast track’ planning documents lodged with An Bord Pleanala concerning the Ronan Group’s plan to construct 1,005 apartments.
Towers
The Ronan Group and Colony Capital are seeking to construct three buildings, with one 45 storeys and a second 44 storeys, on a 1.1 hectare site at Dublin’s North Wall Quay.
The Henry J Lyons Architects designed scheme is to include a public bar/function room located at Level 44 on one of the blocks, while a public viewing deck will also be provided at Levels 44 and 45.
As part of the applicant’s Part V obligations to provide 10 per cent of the development towards social housing, the Ronan Group has put an average cost of €660,358 on each apartment to the City Council.
The estimated prices rise up to €964,030 for a two-bedroom 86.6m2 apartment, while one bedroom units potentially costing the Council from €419,020 to €637,705.
The final costs to the Council will be subject to negotiation if and when planning permission is granted.
'Where will you be?'
The planning documents lodged with the appeals board is accompanied by a 3 minute 45 second long promotional video for the scheme.
The voice-over proclaims that the “landmark” development “completes what will be a bustling dockland area where more 20,000 will live and work”.
And defiantly the voice states “And it will happen. They always make it happen….People will live there - make futures there -maybe dream up - no - upwards and onwards to even better things.”
Almost anticipating objections against the planned scheme, the voice over continues “and the usual commentary and backlash we all love so much fades away to reveal - well - it is going to be incredible. Where will you be?”
Planning documentation lodged with the application states that Waterfront South Central “will stand at the gateway to Dublin’s Docklands, showing the city how much it has achieved in the development of the docklands since the millennium, and as signature for how we can develop responsibly and efficiently in the future”.
In the planning documentation lodged, Johnny Ronan states that “Dublin needs to grow responsibly to meet future demands for a growing population and a growing economy”.
He states: “This means creating projects that are additive to the city, that the city is proud of, that are attractive to a growing, younger population and that can be symbols of what Dublin stands for.”
Planning scheme
The North Lotts & Grand Canal Dock Planning Scheme 2014 for the area states that building up to 10 storeys high can be allowed and planning consultants for the Ronan Group, Tom Phillips & Associates acknowledge that the proposal breaches building heights in the scheme.
However, Mr Phillips contends that the height limitations in the 2014 scheme are not in accordance with strategic planning policy at national level.
He argues that planning permission should be granted as the 2014 North Lotts Planning Scheme “is out of date” and does not adequately respond to current national and international circumstances.
Mr Phillips states that planning permission should also be granted as the subject lands can help solve the housing crisis and that national policy specifically seeks to avoid blanket height restrictions.
Mr Phillips states that the development meets many, if not all, criteria set out by national policy in terms of suitability for a high-density development incorporating taller buildings and that there is ample justification for An Bord Pleanála to permit to materially contravention the Development Plan and Local Area Plan concerning building heights.
A decision is due on the application in May.
