Significant step forward for Grangegorman project

TENDERS are being sought to build two new buildings in Grangegorman that will accommodate thousands of students and staff from the Dublin Institute of Technology.

The DIT campus project is one of the biggest elements of the landmark regeneration project at Grangegorman, which was postponed in 2011 under the Government’s Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016 plan.

However, the Government says it now plans to invest around e300 million into the economy through the Grangegorman development and estimates approximately 3,500 jobs will be created during construction phases of projects.

Last week Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, announced a major step towards beginning work on one of the biggest aspects of the redevelopment when he confirmed invitations to tender for work on the two DIT buildings had been put to market.

The e180 million project involves construction of two new technologically-advanced education buildings – the Central and East quads – at DIT’s new Grangegorman campus.

The buildings will be home to the College of Arts and Tourism, the College of Sciences and Health and part of the College of Engineering and the Built Environment.

The new campus will consolidate up to 40 buildings into a single site and accommodate approximately 11,000 students and staff when fully completed and occupied in September 2017.

The invitation to tender was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) by the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA).

“Publication of the OJEU notice is a signal of this Government’s determination to follow through on its commitment to education and to providing new and modern educational facilities for the students and staff of the DIT,

? said Minister Quinn.

“The construction of these facilities will create jobs, provide an important stimulus for the development of the local community and assist with the regeneration of the inner city.

“That this publication has taken place in a timely manner has been made possible by the hard work and dedication of the NDFA, the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) and my own Department.

?

Chairman of the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA), John Monahan, said the project moving forward was one of the strongest signals yet of the Government’s commitment to Grangegorman.

“The decision by Government to bring this project to market is a vote of confidence in the Grangegorman project and what it will deliver for the stakeholders involved and the country as a whole,

? he said.

“The GDA has been working hard since 2006 to reach milestones such as this one today.

?

Chief Executive of the GDA, Michael Hand, echoed the sentiment of the chairman.

“There have been many false dawns on the Grangegorman project and we have suffered our fair share of setbacks, but today’s announcement reflects the real hard work that has gone into progressing this project and shows the significance of it,

? he said.

Mr Hand said the GDA will now appoint a contractor for the development of all of the site infrastructure and public realm.

“In addition we will soon appoint a contractor to refurbish several old structures onsite which will bring the first DIT students to Grangegorman in 2014,

? he added.