Independent House, 87-93 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1, D01 NH70
PROTECTED STRUCTURE: Summix IHD Developments Limited intend to apply to Dublin City Council for a permission for a Large-Scale Residential Development principally comprising Student Accommodation at this c. 0.3 Ha site at Nos. 87-93 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1, D01 NH70 (known collectively as ‘Independent House’). The site is generally bound by Prince’s Street North to the north, William’s Lane and Nos. 94-96 Middle Abbey Street to the west, Middle Abbey Street to the south, and Nos. 35-39 O’Connell Street Lower (known as ‘Penneys’) to the east. The site comprises 6 No. interconnecting, long-standing vacant structures as follows: (a) a principally part 5 No. to part 6 No. storey above basement level building fronting Middle Abbey Street, known as Independent House, with a single storey workshop building to the rear; (b) a 5 No. storey (above basement level) building at the corner of Middle Abbey Street and William’s Lane, known as Emerald Chambers; (c) a triple height (at basement level) structure towards the centre of the site, known as the ‘Printing Hall’; (d) a 2 No. storey (above basement level) warehouse and office fronting William’s Lane; (e) a part 3 No. to part 4 No. storey (above basement level) loading bay and office fronting Prince’s Street North; and (f) a 3 No. storey (above basement level) office in the eastern portion of the site, bounded by Penneys. The site includes 2 No. Protected Structures (RPS Ref. Nos. 18 & 8797). The development’s surface water and foul water drainage network shall discharge from the site into the existing combined sewer located along Prince’s Street North to the north-west of the site. A new pedestrian crossing and upgrade works to the footpath and kerb along Prince’s Street North are proposed. Public realm improvements are also proposed to William’s Lane. The development site area, drainage works, road works and public realm improvements will provide a total application site area of c. 0.33 Ha. The development will principally consist of: the retention and refurbishment of part of the building façade along Prince’s Street North; the demolition of the 3 No. former warehouses and offices (c. 5,270 sq m) and the lowering of part of the basement level thereat; the demolition of part of the adjoining wall to the north-east of the site, bounding the Penneys loading bay; the partial demolition of the Printing Hall (c. 457 sq m) and the rear of Emerald Chambers (c. 150 sq m) and Independent House (c. 100 sq m); the removal of the existing concrete roof slab at Emerald Chambers to facilitate an increase in floor-to-ceiling height at fourth floor level; the lowering of part of the ground floor level in Independent House and Emerald Chambers for universal access; refurbishment works to the Protected Structures including general internal and external works for conservation repairs, maintenance, change of use and upgrading of the buildings; and the construction of a part 1 No. to part 9 No. storey over basement building connecting into the retained structures and principally comprising 316 No. Student Accommodation bedspaces (267 No. standard rooms, 5 No. accessible rooms, 2 No. twin studios (4 No. bedspaces), 10 No. accessible studios and 30 No. single studios) with associated facilities, which will be utilised for short-term let during student holiday periods. The 272 No. standard and accessible rooms are provided in 42 No. clusters ranging in size from 5 No. bedspaces to 8 No. bedspaces, and all clusters are served by a communal living/kitchen/dining room. The development also provides: ancillary internal and external communal student amenity spaces and support facilities; cultural and community floor space (c. 644 sq m); 3 No. retail units (c. 216 sq m); a café/restaurant (c. 254 sq m); bicycle stores at basement and ground floor levels; visitor cycle parking spaces; bin stores; ESB substation; hard and soft landscaping; green/blue roofs; new telecommunications infrastructure at roof level, together with all associated equipment; boundary treatments; PV panels; plant; lift overruns; and all associated works above and below ground. The gross floor area of the development is c. 15,413 sq m comprising c. 12,751 sq m above basement level. The Planning Application may also be inspected online at the following website setup by the Applicant: www.independenthouselrd.ie