BAM gets planning for more student apartments on events centre site.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
EXTRA student accommodation on the site of the former Beamish & Crawford brewery has been given planning permission.
The site is where the planned Cork events centre is to be built.
Beds for 400 students were approved by Cork City Council, but it is not known if BAM Property will begin work soon, or hold off until changes in the events centre funding have been ratified.
Last September, the company made submissions to reduce office and shop space on the site, in order to expand the student accommodation.
The Government has pledged €12m to the project and Cork City Council have promised €8m.
However, BAM is seeking a further €12m in public funds and says changes are dependent on the wishes of Live Nation, proposed operators of the site.
The student accommodation would ease the demand for third-level specific housing.
Preservation of the city’s historic wall on the site has been taken into consideration, as has a pedestrian bridge that would link to South Main Street. Building costs on the site have increased from €53m to €65m, after an internal redesign process increased floor space by 3,500 sq m, to 13,500 sq m.
Last week, representatives of BAM met city councillors in a meeting not open to the public or to the media.
Demolition work on the former Beamish and Crawford Brewery.Larry Cummins
BAM boss, Teo Cullinane, also refused to speak to waiting media, before or after the meeting.
It was revealed later that new planning permission will most likely be required, after BAM told the Government that they need an extra €12m to fund the project and ensure it is built on the old brewery site.