Grangegorman plan ‘not dead in the water’

THE landmark regeneration project for the 30-hectare
Grangegorman site, which was postponed last month under the Government’s
Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016 plan, is not

“dead in the
water

? according to members of its development board.

Despite the Government’s decision to defer the
project, the Grangegorman Development Agency are desperately trying to keep the
plan alive and are examining alternative funding and construction arrangements
that could see the DIT campus open to students from 2015.

The proposed redevelopment of the former St Brendan’s
Hospital grounds involves relocating DIT, which is currently based in 39
locations across the city, to the new campus, situated near Constitution Hill
and the North Circular Road.

The plan also involves the redevelopment of HSE
facilities for the elderly, as well as a new urban quarter, which would
rejuvenate the entire area in Dublin’s north inner city.

Work on a new hospital on the border of the site is
already underway and is expected to open next year.

Local councillor Emer Costello (Lab), who is a Dublin
City Council representative on the board of the development agency, told
Northside People that the board – which is made up of DIT, HSE and political
representatives – is investigating if the project could proceed on a

“piecemeal
basis

? if the Government provided a reduced investment.

“The initial plan was utopian in that we hoped to
build everything together but that just doesn’t seem feasible now,

? Cllr
Costello explained.

“The capital spend that we were due to get next year
was to allow for infrastructure and for certain elements to be put in place but
obviously following the Government’s decision this won’t be possible.

“But we’re not giving up and are looking at
progressing the project on a more piecemeal basis whereby we can develop one of
the elements of the build that already has infrastructure in place. Hopefully
the Government would be in a position to provide some investment to the
project.

?

She added:

“There’s no definitive plan at the moment
but we have lots of ideas as to how we can push the plan forward. The message
is that the project is not cancelled or dead in the water.

?

Cllr Costello remains confident that the plan will go
ahead because of feedback she recently received from the Taoiseach and the
Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn.

“I spoke personally to the Taoiseach at the
President’s inauguration about the project and the feedback was one of
disappointment that the plan had to be postponed but also encouragement that
Grangegorman is one of the projects that he wants to see through to the end,

?
Cllr Costello stated.

“Ruairi Queen was also adamant that Grangegorman is a
very important project and would not be shelved.

?

It’s understood that a number of avenues of funding,
such as the sale of existing DIT college premises and other assets, could be
tapped into to deliver the project on a phased basis.

A Bord Pleanala planning inquiry on the flagship
regeneration project came to a close on Tuesday, November 29, with a decision
on the plan expected early in the new year.