IF YOU want to have your say on the plan to redevelop Grangegorman in Dublin’s north city, there’s still time.

The ambitious project which will turn the 70-acre site into a lively urban quarter including a DIT campus catering for 20,000 students, new HSE offices and purpose-built mental health facilities, is still on track – and the public has until November 9th to make submissions.

The regeneration plan first mooted over a decade ago has been four long years in the planning since the Grangegorman Development Agency was established.

But while it’s undoubtedly an exciting project the question has to be asked – can we afford it?

Originally it was thought much of the project could be funded by selling off DIT colleges, but the downturn means more funding will come from the Exchequer.

On the plus side, falling construction prices means the estimated €468 million cost might fall.

Sceptics believe progress will be grindingly slow, but the Government is gung-ho about seeing the project through.

Good news for the northside, then.

See ggda.ie