Peter McVerry Trust to build social homes on Fishamble Street

A derelict site on Fishamble Street on the southside is set to be redeveloped for social housing by the Peter McVerry Trust.

The charity has announced it will apply for planning permission for a block of 10 apartments on the site of 29 and 30 Fishamble Street.

The site was previously occupied by two 18^th-century buildings but has been lying derelict since the mid-20^th century.

Owned by Dublin City Council, the site was previously earmarked for a “mom and pop developer” project in 2012.

The local authority sought expressions of interest from groups of households to create a co-op and build apartments on the site in which they would live for at least 10 years.

The council offered to sell the site for €150,000 and the chosen group were to design and build their own apartments.

The overall price of the scheme was to cost the co-op €1.2 million but in 2015, the successful bidder pulled out of the project due to financial difficulties.

DCC then shelved the idea.

Another plan, to build a modular apartment scheme on the site was also cancelled in 2019 when the council cited spiralling construction costs.

In July 2018, the local authority announced plans for prefabricated “rapid delivery” apartments which would have a 60-year lifespan.

However, the council’s budget of €1.5 million was expected to be dwarfed by the cost of the cheapest construction tender which was estimated to be €3 million, or €600,000 per apartment.

The local authority has now decided to allow Peter McVerry Trust to take over the site and develop social housing for homeless people.

In a statement, the charity said: “Peter McVerry Trust is working with Dublin City Council to reuse the long-derelict site at Fishamble Street, Dublin 8, for a social housing scheme.”

The charity plans to build double the number of apartments proposed by the council in 2018, with 10 apartments planned in a six-storey block, a similar height to apartments immediately north of the site.

The total cost of the project is €4.3 million, making it cheaper per apartment than the council’s scheme.

“The current estimated cost is €4.3 million for 10 apartments, a mix of one- and two-bed units. The costs are inclusive of potential archaeological challenges with the site,” the trust spokesman said.

The charity already has initial funding approval for the project from the Department of Housing under the Capital Assistance Scheme and designs have been prepared for planning.

“The project architects are Fitzgerald, Kavanagh and Partners, and following further archaeological surveys the project will progress to planning in the new year,” the spokesman said.