Last December, Cork City Council green-lit proposals from City Properties (Cork) Ltd for works on the landmark Queen’s Old Castle building (formerly Argos, and currently home to Dealz) at 84-89 Grand Parade.
This redevelopment would see a range of conservation, partial demolition, refurbishment and alteration works in order to make way for both retail and office buildings. The mixed-use development proposal includes plans to construct a number of three-seven storey office blocks with the capacity to hold up to 900 employees.
Permission was recently granted to City Properties (Cork) Limited for The Queen’s Old Castle refurb, with 29 conditions attached, however this was put on hold following a recent appeal to An Bord Pleanála by An Taisce Corcaigh for various reasons.
An Taisce has outlined that the design requires “significant revisions”, along with a reduction in height so that the building better integrates with the city centres’ historic location.
“There is no other example of a building of this scale, height and type of design having been approved for insertion within an existing streetscape in the inner older part of the city centre with a fully glazed horizontal-style scheme proposed to rise some five floors behind the existing facade, albeit set back behind it.
“It will clearly change entirely the look of the whole streetscape at this point, and the approach vista.”
In their appeal, An Taisce mentions that the proposed building is too tall, and that the design is unsuitable in a historic Architectural Conservation Area. An Bord Pleanála is due to make a decision on this by the end of May 2022.