The public has lost confidence in the Cork events centre project, it was suggested last night, after it emerged that it will be early in the new year before final designs on the stalled €53m scheme are finished, writes Eoin English, Irish Examiner Reporter.
The developers have now been given until January 31 next to finish the internal designs, finalise the costings, and brief councillors on a definitive timeline.
Council chief executive Ann Doherty moved to reassure councillors last night that the project is still on track despite the looming second anniversary of the sanctioning of €20m in state-aid to get the project off the ground.
BAM and Live Nation won a competitive bid in December 2014 for state funding — €12m from Government and €8m from Cork City Council — to build a 6,000-seat events centre on the former Beamish and Crawford brewery site on South Main St as part of its €150m Brewery Quarter regeneration of the entire site.
But despite a sod-turning by Taoiseach Enda Kenny last February, work on the building’s internal design is ongoing, final detailed costs have yet to be agreed, some contracts have yet to be signed, and construction has yet to start.
While demolition started on site last month, an archaeological dig still has to take place before construction can start, fuelling fears that construction could be months off.
SoHo publican Sean McCarthy, who helped spearhead the Support Brewery Quarter group of city centre business people, led calls last week for a public statement on the status of the project.
Ms Doherty told councillors last night that following her last update in August as the developers started the internal design process, she was conscious that councillors may have had an expectation that there would have been further developments in October.
“This process was originally to be completed by the end of October, however it has taken longer than expected and has not been completed to date,” she said.
“We met with the developers during October to monitor progress and established that the professional teams are continuing to work on this design phase and I am satisfied that good progress is being made in this regard.”
But she said it is likely that it will be early in the new year before she will be in a position to brief councillors on the outcome of the process.
She said the unique multi-functional nature of the facility — an events centre, a conference centre and a concert venue — is why the design work is taking so long.
She said a large team is working on the designs, that the developer is anxious to break ground as soon as possible, but that he will only start when the design is right.
However, Cllr Terry Shannon (FF) said people have lost confidence in the entire process.
“It’s dragging on, and dragging on. The developers should come before council and brief us — we’re a huge stakeholder in this project,” he said.
Independent Cllr Mick Finn said he is “baffled” that two years on from the announcement of public funding, councillors still have not been briefed by the developers.
FF Cllr Tim Brosnan said he has always believed that the facility, on this site, is a “non-runner”.
This story first appeared in the Irish Examiner.
