Plans to turn a terrace of Victorian buildings on Dublin's South Great George's Street, which have been mostly vacant for almost 30 years, into a 98-bedroom hotel have been approved by Dublin City Council.
The four-storey redbrick terrace, which occupies a large block on the corner of George’s Street and Lower Stephen Street opposite the Long Hall pub, is one of the most prominent derelict buildings in the south inner city and has been listed on the council’s register of vacant sites.
In the late 1980s it became a discount clothing and shoe shop, which lasted into the early 1990s
Built in the 1890s, the building, which stretches from 41-46 George’s Street, was occupied by Winston’s Department Store from the 1920s to the 1970s, when it was taken over by Dockrell’s hardware store.
In the late 1980s it became a discount clothing and shoe shop, which lasted into the early 1990s.
Since then, the building has remained shuttered apart from the corner site at number 46 which was occupied by Jaipur Indian restaurant until 2015 when it too closed.
Despite a surge in the popularity of George’s Street and the surrounding area in recent years, particularly as a night-time destination with large numbers of new restaurants and bars, the terrace has remained empty and has become increasingly derelict.
While the building has remained undeveloped, there have been previous planning applications for the site.
In 2006 plans were granted for the demolition of the entire block with the exception of the facade on South Great George’s Street and Lower Stephen Street, and its replacement by a mix of retail and offices. This permission was extended to July 2016.
A similar, but scaled back, development was granted in 2013, involving some refurbishment and extension of the existing buildings, but neither scheme went ahead.
Grosam Properties Limited earlier this year applied to build a 100-room hotel with a restaurant and three retail units. As with the 2006 scheme the development involves the demolition of the buildings, apart from their facades "in order to maintain the character of the street".
In its assessment, the council said while the retention of only the facade of a historic building “is not best practice” precedent had been set by their earlier applications, and the building had undergone “significant interventions in the past” and “has been vacant for a number of years” .
The council granted permission, omitting two hotel rooms and ordering that original chimneys be retained.
