A plan to save Dublin’s Digital Hub by bringing it under the control of Dublin City Council has been published by the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA).
In 2021, the government announced the dissolution of the DHDA with the gradual wind down of its activities and the transfer of its lands in Dublin’s Liberties to the Land Development Agency (LDA) to be used for housing.
The agency has been given several stays of execution since, with ongoing leases offered to existing and new companies, largely operating in the tech and innovation sector at its Thomas Street campus.
In late 2022, the LDA published a €180 million master plan to build 550 social and affordable homes on the Digital Hub lands. Most of the housing would be in new apartment blocks up to 12 storeys tall, but several protected and historic buildings were also earmarked for conversion.
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Almost 60 businesses and social and cultural organisations are currently operating at the Digital Hub and their leases were due to end once apartment construction began by the end of 2025.
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However, the LDA has to yet begin developing the housing, and while it is understood an application will be submitted to the council by the end of this year, the DHDA is now seeking to retain the businesses on the campus “as we seek to pivot from being a State agency to a new stand-alone legal entity under the auspices of Dublin City Council”.
Digital Hub chief executive Fiach Mac Conghail said the DHDA was not resisting the dissolution, which he said was “required by Government”. However, becoming a new “stand-alone entity” under the council would allow it “to maintain and advance its existing enterprise cluster and community programmes,” he said.
“We believe this would be a positive and effective outcome for all, especially as it is being proposed at a time when the Digital Hub is operating at almost full capacity.”
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A two-year strategic plan published by the DHDA on Tuesday has been developed in consultation with the LDA. It would see the Digital Hub’s in-use buildings remain in place while new housing is developed on other parts of the campus. The LDA has indicated maintaining businesses on site would support its vision of a mixed-use community.
Speaking on the publication of the plan, council chief executive Richard Shakespeare said the “values, aims and strategic objectives” of the DHDA were shared by the council.
“We both understand and appreciate the positive change that can occur when an enterprise hub like this is established and supported to fulfil a transformative remit and to help preserve and support existing long-standing communities,” Mr Shakespeare said.
“We are excited to see the outcome of this process and believe that maintaining and expanding the DHDA’s programmes, its buildings, enterprise facilities and staff skill set could promote and drive further regeneration in Dublin 8 and perhaps in other parts of the city.”
The creation of the new entity would require the sanction of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. A spokeswoman for the department said it was “committed to taking the necessary steps to implement the government decision of 2021 to dissolve the Digital Hub Development Agency and to transfer its properties to the Land Development Agency to support the construction of affordable housing”.
The department was “also in discussions with other bodies, including Dublin City Council, on further complementary options to implement the Government decisions.”
