A new website has launched for the planned revamp of Clery’s on O’Connell Street, showing plans for the building’s major overhaul.
ClerysQuarter.ie was launched earlier this month and shows artists’ impressions of what the major overhaul will look like, both inside the historic building and its exterior and O’Connell Street environs.
The proposed revamp will include a 176-bedroom hotel, office space, cafes, restaurants and retail units.
Business group Dublin Chamber said the development “has the potential to breathe new life into Dublin city centre and act as a catalyst for the rejuvenation of O’Connell Street as Ireland’s premier thoroughfare”.
Its chief executive, Mary Rose Burke, said: “It’s been sad to see the Clery’s building sit idle for so long. The plans to revamp the building are hugely exciting.
“This is the type of mixed-use development that Dublin city centre is crying out for.
“The redevelopment of Clery’s, combined with the future development of the Carlton Cinema site, has the potential to inspire a new golden age for O’Connell Street.
“Once completed, the Clery’s Quarter has the potential to rival some of the best mixed-use developments in the world.”
In the news that development will begin on the revamp in the coming months, SIPTUDublin District Council and the Justice for Clery’s Workers Campaign have called on the developers to adhere to the existing community benefit agreement for the site.
The SIPTU Dublin District Council secretary – and a former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr – said: “In March 2017, the then owners of the store and representatives of the former workers concluded a detailed agreement which ended the dispute surrounding the unacceptable manner in which Clery’s was put out of business.
“Utilising the office of Lord Mayor of Dublin, I played a central role in brokering an agreement between its owners, the union, local community groups and city councillors concerning the future development of the former department store.
“That agreement is applicable to the development of the site and legally would have to have been brought to the attention of the Europa Capital consortium [Clery’s current owners] as a burden on the site prior to purchase.
“Integral to the agreement is co-operation between developers, local community groups and unions on the future development of the site in a manner that ensures the maximum benefit for the northeast inner city,” he said.
Carr continued: “The agreement includes clauses concerning the employment of former Clery’s workers, local training and employment programmes as well as measures to ensure the safeguarding and development of the cultural and historical importance of the site.
“Myself and my colleagues expect this agreement to be fully respected by the new owners. We look forward to ensuring that this development is one that works for business, those who are employed in it and the surrounding local communities.”
Original article: dublingazette.com
