THE new year will be a big one for Grangegorman with 1,000 students arriving on campus in September and hundreds of workers preparing other elements of the multi-million euro redevelopment project.
Earlier this month Taoiseach Enda Kenny turned the sod to mark the beginning of the latest Grangegorman contract – a
?¬26 million job that will see over 200 construction workers on site.
A further 100 construction jobs will come on stream early in 2014 when three more Grangegorman contracts get underway and it’s estimated that between now and 2017, a total of 3,500 construction jobs will be created on the project.
Dublin MEP Emer Costello who is a former member of the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) said the Grangegorman campus was key to the regeneration of the North Inner City.
“I am delighted that Taoiseach Enda Kenny has finally turned the sod on a new unified campus at Grangegorman for DIT,
? she said.
“The new Grangegorman site is a strategic project for Dublin and will provide much needed construction jobs over coming years.
“The development will play a pivotal role in the regeneration of the North Inner City.
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“The overall
?¬230 million cost of the development includes provision of e110 million from the European Investment Bank to construct the Central and East Quad area.
“As Dublin’s MEP, I will now work to ensure that Grangegorman Development Agency and DIT have full access to all sources of EU funding.
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Taoiseach Enda Kenny described the Grangegorman project as a key capital development in the Government’s Jobs Stimulus Plan.
“The future of the Irish economy is in enterprise and innovation and the development of Grangegorman fits perfectly with that goal,
? he continued.
“In the development of the site, construction jobs will be created which will provide a boost for some of those who were hit the hardest when the construction bubble burst and 20 per cent of these are earmarked for people from the local area.
“In tandem with the Luas Cross City project this should be a really positive development for the North Inner City.
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The Grangegorman Development Agency has put in place a Local Employment Charter to help provide 20 per cent of new jobs to local people.
GDA Chairman John Monahan said:
“This is hugely significant for the north inner city of Dublin and is just one of the ways in which the overall Grangegorman project will be a vehicle for the urban regeneration of this part of the city.
“The Grangegorman project is about developing a sustainable and open new urban quarter for Dublin City. It has health, education and community at its heart. However, it will also drive the regeneration of this area.
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Speaking at the launch of the latest contract, GDA Chief Executive Michael Hand, said the first key piece of the project – the Phoenix Care Centre which opened last February – has set the standard for the rest of the Grangegorman project.
“The contract being launched, along with the other ones about to go on site, will pave the way for the first 1,000 DIT students to come to Grangegorman in September 2014,
? he said.
“In addition to this a Primary Health Care centre is currently being developed and a Community Nursing Unit is being planned.
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Anne O’Connor, HSE Head of Operations – Mental Health Services, said the Grangegorman site is of particular historical significance to the HSE.
“With the closure of St Brendan’s Hospital Campus on May 21, 2013 and the move to the state-of-the-art Phoenix Care Centre a new chapter in the history of care for those with mental illness commenced,
? she said.
“Whilst the site has historically been dedicated to the care of those with mental illness, the Grangegorman Masterplan has been designed to allow for the development of a range of other health related services on site such as the new Primary Care Centre and Community Nursing Unit.
“The HSE will continue to work in partnership with the GDA and DIT to develop and deliver on this Masterplan which is a significant milestone in the development of both health infrastructure and health services in the North Inner City of Dublin.
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President of Dublin Institute of Technology, Professor Brian Norton, said he was looking forward to students arriving on site next September.
“This exciting new campus will play a key part in the education and development of a new generation of graduates who will become the leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs we need to drive Ireland’s future competitiveness,
? he said.
“After many years of planning, we are extremely grateful to the very many colleagues in the GDA, the Department of Education and Skills, the NDFA – and in DIT! – for their work in delivering this project.”