A major plan for upgrading O'Connell Street and its environs in central Dublin is being prepared by Dublin Corporation planners, and will be presented in full before Christmas, members of Dublin City Council have been told.
At a meeting of the council's planning and development committee on Tuesday, the corporation planning officer, Mr Dick Gleeson, gave councillors a preview of the plan which, he said, was centred on three elements: buildings, building use and the use of public space, with building use being the "key" to a "new O'Connell Street".
Pointing out that several important and beautiful buildings in O'Connell Street owned by banks were currently being evaluated for redevelopment, Mr Gleeson expressed concern for the future uses to which these premises might be put, with the implications such uses might have for the buildings' interiors and street-level elevations.
A central element of the plan is a proposal to widen the pavements on both sides of the street by removing one lane of traffic in each direction. Another important element is a proposal to create a new pedestrian street linking Moore Street with O'Connell Street via the vacant lot alongside the former Carlton Cinema. This has remained undeveloped for many years.
Mr Gleeson said the report would be recommending to Government the designation for tax purposes of particular sites in the target area to help the process of redevelopment and/ or remodelling.
Mr Gleeson contrasted different major buildings on O'Connell Street, describing some dating from the 1920s redevelopment of the street following the destruction during the Easter Rising of 1916, such as Clerys as a "powerful heritage".
He criticised some more recent buildings, singling out the Royal Dublin Hotel, the Fingal County Council building and the office building on the corner of Sean MacDermott Street, housing Telecom Eireann offices, as needing "serious remodelling".
Mr Gleeson also contrasted several shop fronts on the street and in adjoining streets, including Westmoreland Street, as examples of good or bad design.
Stressing that a revamped O'Connell Street should have a strong relationship with areas immediately surrounding it, including the HARP redevelopment area to the west, the Docklands area and the area covered by the North-East Central Dublin integrated area plan, Mr Gleeson emphasised the need to preserve the "unique character" of Moore Street as a market, while bringing it into a relationship with O'Connell Street by linking the two streets.
The plan also proposes the creation of public spaces in front of the GPO and the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art in Parnell Square, the opening up of the grounds of the Department of Education in Marlborough Street at a point opposite the Pro-Cathedral, and the building of a new pedestrian bridge spanning the Liffey linking Marlborough Street and Hawkins Street.
The plan also envisages a replacement monument or feature for the site previously occupied by Nelson's Pillar. A design competition is proposed for this aspect of the plan.
The plan springs from an initiative taken by the current Lord Mayor, Mr John Stafford, who has had two meetings in the Mansion House on the issue since taking office in July.