The brothers behind the Capital Bars group are joining forces with Bennett Construction, CIÉ, and Dublin Bus to build a €100 million hotel and transport hub. Barry O'Halloranreports.
Dublin City Council has given Liam and Des O'Dwyer's Deepdrill Developments planning permission for a 300-bedroom hotel and transport interchange at Abbey Street/Strand Street on the city's northside.
The development will consist of the hotel on seven floors over a double height ground floor that will contain the bus interchange.
This will handle up to 50 vehicles an hour serving commuter routes to the Blanchardstown and Dunboyne, Co Meath, areas.
The bus facility is one of three planned for Dublin, the others will be built at Connolly and Heuston train stations.
Under the terms of the deal, Deepdrill, trading as O'Dwyer Leisure, will own the hotel, while CIÉ, the parent of the Republic's three State public transport companies, will own the bus interchange.
The total project cost is estimated at €100 million and is expected to be up and running within three years.
The site is immediately south of the Jervis Street shopping centre and Luas light rail stop.
It is also at the edge of the €750 million northern quarter redevelopment of Dublin's north inner city planned by department store business, Arnotts.
Dwyer Leisure has a second proposal on the way that will link its new development and bus interchange with the quays through a complex including another hotel, shops, cafes and a pedestrian walkway.
The company said the planning permission for the hotel/interchange development was granted subject to "reasonably standard" conditions and a €2.7 million development contribution. Among other things, the conditions demand that the group upgrade the road on Strand Street.
The hotel will be the biggest developed by the O'Dwyers in Dublin. The others, the Graton Capital on South King Street and the Trinity on Pearse Street, are 75 bedroom and 156 bedroom respectively.
The O'Dwyers are best known for their Capital Bars business in Dublin, which includes Cafe en Seine on Dawson Street, O'Dwyers on Mount Street and Break for the Border on Stephen Street.
