Development proposed for 81 & 82 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1.

2016 Development proposed for 82 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1.

Town Planning Report Planning Compliance Report to accompany planning application lodged with Dublin City Council for a proposed development at 82 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 to retain the existing warehouse building which is a Protected Structure and to develop a seven storey building with set-back eighth floor and basement for use as a hotel.

Manahan Planners 38 Dawson Street, Dublin 2 19/05/2016

Introduction This planning report has been prepared in connection with a planning application by Chirita Limited for a development at 82 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1. The application is seeking permission for a development that involves the retention of the exterior of the existing warehouse structure and the construction of a seven storey building to accommodate a hotel.

Site Location and Planning Context The study building occupies a corner site at the junction of North Wall Quay and Castleforbes Road facing south onto the Liffey. It is bounded by Castleforbes Road to the east, North Wall Quay to the south, 81 North Wall Quay (of which the Applicant is the owner of) to the west. The site known as ‘Project Wave’ also adjoins it to the west and north.

The subject site forms part of a larger city block identified as Block 8 in the North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock Planning Scheme. The site is strategically located approx 220m west of the 3 Arena, approximately 1km from Dublin City Centre and is in proximity to the Tom Clarke Bridge between North Wall Quay and Sir John Rogerson's Quay, on the north bank of the River Liffey. The Luas line connecting Connolly to the 3 Arena runs to the north of the site along Mayor Street.

The planning application site area is 692.4 sq.m in size.

The premises is estimated to date from the mid 19th century. It once formed part of a larger site which accommodated a saw mill business. It was recorded as “burnt out” in 1947 on the Goad Fire Insurance Plan of Dublin. It was later redeveloped in the early 1950’s with a completely new internal structure to the building.

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It is located in an area Zoned Z14 in Dublin City Council’s Development Plan 2011 – 2017. The objectives for this area are to “to seek the social, economic and physical development and/or rejuvenation of an area with mixed use of which residential and ‘Z6’ would be the predominant use”.

It is also identified as being within the Strategic Development and Regeneration Area 6. Further to this, it is included in City Block 8 in the North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock Planning Scheme 2014.

The site is identified with orange circle.

The Site is also located within a Strategic Development Zone adopted as part of the Dublin Docks Development area originally, but now within the functional area of Dublin City Council.

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Planning History Subject Site The subject site was previously part of a larger landholding that was the subject of a planning approval for the “redesign of the existing front elevation, alterations to facade fronting existing car park and change of use of circa 424m.sq. of existing warehouse to showroom/retail use”, with an address listed as 70 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1.

No other relevant planning history pertains to the application site.

Nearby Permissions

1

Reg. Ref. DSDZ 3519/1 5

Address

Applicant

Proposed Land Uses

The Woolstore, Spencer Dock, North Wall Quay,

Tora Company Ltd. (in Receivership and In Liquidation) Ernst & Young Joint Receivers

Café unit (466.69 sq.m) and office floor space (1,182 sq.m)

2

DSDZ 3368/1 5

Site at the junction of North Wall Quay, and New Wapping Street, Spencer Dock

3

2100/1

Office

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Central Bank

169 bedroom hotel (8,243 sq.m), Office (39,510 sq.m), Retail/restaurant (1,270 sq.m), Community use (169 sq.m), Cafe (95 sq.m), Retail (32 sq.m), Total gross floor space of 10,655 sq.m Office (29,358 sq m

Current Status Decision pending

Permission granted 17.12.15

Permission Page 4

4+DS DZ381 4/14

4

DSDZ 3350/1 5

5

DSDZ 2242/1 6

6

DSDZ 3875/1 5 DSDZ 3689/1 5

7

8

DSDZ 3632/1 5

Building 1, Junction of North Wall Quay, and New Wapping Street, Site bounded

by North Wall Quay, New Wapping Street, Mayor Street Upper and Castleforbes Road, North Lotts Project Wave Site of 1.44 ha (City Block 9) bound by North Wall Quay to the south, Castleforbes Road to the west, Mayor Street Upper to the north and vacant land to the east, 91-94, North Wall Quay Upper Mayor Street and 113-115 Sheriff Street

The Exo Building, Point Village District Centre, North Wall Quay

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of Ireland

including basements)

granted 24.03.14 + 30.01.15 respectively

Oxley Holdings Limited

Office (28,242 sq.m) and shared basement (30,320 sq.m)

Permission granted 10.11.15

David Carson (receiver for Chinook Investments)

Demolition of all buildings on site

Permission granted 07.04.16

Wintertide Ltd. (In Receivership) Wintertide Ltd. (In Receivership)

Office (38,137sq.m)

Permission granted 11.12.15 Decision pending

Grant Thornton

2 Student Accommodation blocks (31,447sq.m including basement) and 1 retail/retail services/cafe/restaurant/ medical unit/cultural unit with a total 851sq.m Office (19,263 sq.m) and Bar/Restaurant (519 sq.m)

Permission granted 24.03.16

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The Proposal The proposal is set out in the accompanying drawings and Architects Report submitted

by ODOS Architects. The Statutory Notice states that the proposal contains the following description: “Planning permission is sought by Chirita Limited for development at 82 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1, a former warehouse building and a Protected Structure on the corner with Castleforbes Road for use as a hotel. The development seeks to retain the majority of the original elements which are confined to external walls, entrance door and windows. Conservation works will include the raking out and repointing of brickwork; structural consolidation of brick walls where breached; repair and draught proofing of windows and partial reconstruction of entrance door. New window openings in the West Elevation at 1st and 2nd Floor Levels are proposed.

Mid-20th century elements comprising ground floor concrete slab; all upper floor slabs and supporting columns; concrete ring beam and lintels; steel roof structures and asbestos roofing will be removed. Brick pediment fabric will be dismantled and reinstated on removal of the non original concrete ring beam. A new structure will be inserted independent of historic walls to align with existing fenestration.

An additional five floors will be provided above the existing eaves level arising in an eight storey building. The exterior upper floors will be clad using a series of corten steel fins, arranged vertically either side of the window openings and adjacent solid sections with flat planted roof at the 7th storey level.

The asymmetrical roof with roof lights over the single storey annex will be open with glass to the west. A two storey basement to a reduced footprint of the main structure is also proposed. The main hotel entrance will be from North Wall Quay. The ground floor and two basement floors will contain the hotel communal facilities, including reception, cafĂŠ, bar, gym and meeting and conference facilities. A restaurant and bar will occupy the top two floors. The five intermediary floors will accommodate 93 bedrooms. The completed building will have an internal floor area of 4,389sq.m.

This application relates to a proposed development within the North Lotts & Grand Canal Dock SDZ Planning Scheme area.�

Details of the proposed building, its layout, distribution of uses, its architectural treatment and materials, together with its relationship to neighbouring buildings are set out in the Architect Report included in the application.

The use itself is as a boutique high quality Hotel. The ground floor will contain the reception together with a bar/cafe. The main entrance is to be from the North Wall Quay frontage with two side entrances taken from Castleforbes Road. The existing brick warehouse is to be retained and glazing will be provided using the original window openings along both frontages, providing animation and activation of the public realm.

Levels 1-5 will contain 93 bedrooms. Level 6 will contain a restaurant and a set back Level 7 will accommodate a bar with a terrace to the rear.

Finally Level -1 will contain a series of conference and meeting rooms while Level -2 will accommodate a spa and associated changing facilities for residents.

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Pre-Application Consultation A pre-application consultation meeting was held between the Project Team (Darrell O’Donoghue, Clive Hennessy, Tony Manahan and Patrick McKillen Jnr) and the area planners in which an early scheme was presented. Subsequent meetings were held with planners, conservation officers and representatives of DDDA. The scheme proposed initially the building reach up to 12 storeys in height. The area planners raised a number of concerns with the proposed scheme, relating to height, conservation issues and compliance with the provisions of the SDZ. The applicants were also advised to consult with the owners of the neighbouring site to the north and west to ensure the proposal integrates well with the proposal on that site which includes residential use. A meeting to that effect was held subsequently.

All comments were considered and the scheme was revised further a number of times This version is incorporated in this planning application and has sought to address the issues raised by the area planner. It is hoped these changes may find favour with the Planning Authority.

Origins of the Proposal- Architects Design Report A report outlining the rationale behind the architectural design, prepared by ODOS Architects, is attached as a separate document.

It identifies the evolution of the architectural scheme from inception. It states that while the original brick building possess architectural merit, the internal fabric (not original) adds little to the value of the architectural character of the building.

Therefore, it was decided that much of this could be removed.

In order to enhance the character of the original building it was felt that any addition to the structure should have "a clear but sympathetic" distinction between the new element and the Protected Structure.

A number of potential typologies were explored. The final concept arrived at was to create a "stacked visual strata made up of the existing brick structure, the new vertical extension and a set-back rooftop bar".

It was decided to utilise distinctive materials that improved the legibility of the building, in line with the architectural concept described above. Above the brick warehouse building, corten steel (which will naturally rust over time) is proposed to stretch for four levels with a final glass 'cap' on the uppermost level.

Conservation Issues in the Protected Structure An Architectural Heritage Statement critiquing the heritage impacts of the proposed development, prepared by Molloy & Associates Architects, is attached as a separate document.

It outlines the historic background of the building, stating that the surviving historic elements are confined to brick outer walls up to eaves level only. It identifies that the internal structures and roof are of 1950s origin or later.

The statement also contains an assessment of the proposal’s design rationale and how it relates to extant architectural characteristics. It finds that the proposed North Wall Quay May 2016

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development achieves the proposed hotel brief whilst respecting the unique character of the building and its inherent relationship with its important urban context.

Planning Assessment The proposal is consistent with the Z14 use zoning objective in the Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2017 “to seek the social, economic and physical development and/or rejuvenation of an area with mixed use of which residential and ‘Z6’ would be the predominant use”.

Further it is identified as being within the Strategic Development and Regeneration Area 6.

As mentioned above, it is included in City Block 8 in the North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock Planning Scheme 2014. This allocation seeks to create a land use mix of 30% residential and 70% commercial use across the entire City Block.

With regard to building height, it seeks the following: “8-storey commercial/10-storey residential onto North Wall Quay with a context design solution adjacent to the protected structures, reducing to 6-storey commercial/7-storey residential over block perimeter.”

In addition to the setbacks which may be necessary for design and amenity reasons within the height envelope in Fig. 35, an additional storey, with a setback of 1.5m plus may be considered subject to a shadow analysis and a compelling urban design rationale. This option for an additional storey shall not apply for Blocks 1 to 5.

This application has been designed to be in compliance with these provisions and has created a 'context design solution adjacent to the protected structures' in its response to the adjacent Protected Structure at 81 North Wall Quay.

Heritage and Protected Structures: Policy 5.4.6 states "the retention and adaptive re-use of the Protected Structures in the SDZ is an important objective.

Due to the relative scarcity of these buildings in the area, their retention is a fixed element of the scheme. The City Block Development Code (Fig. 35) indicates the new build context for these buildings. It is expected that quality design will be brought to bear to ensure that new buildings, including higher buildings, and can be can be juxtaposed with Protected Structures in a harmonious fashion."

It is submitted that this quality design, will bring an innovative and exciting feature to this area of Docklands. Further, the choice of materials at upper levels has been done in a way that complements the protected original brick warehouse building below. This juxtaposition of the two main elements of the proposed developments serves to draw out the heritage qualities and characteristics of the original structure in an appropriate and distinguishing form.

Land Use: The use as a hotel is permissible within this zoning designation and is a suitable development in the North Wall Quay area providing a complementary use to the large amounts of office, apartment and entertainment uses in the area.

There is a well documented shortage of hotels within the Dublin City area at present and this proposal will add to the stock of hotels in Dublin and should be welcomed on North Wall Quay May 2016

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that account. In addition, however, there are very few hotels in the North Docks area and this will add a welcome facility in that context.

Transport and Parking: It is not proposed to provide parking on site. It is submitted that this is acceptable having regard to the accessibility and location of the proposal in such close proximity to the city centre, and Luas line into the city centre.

Moreover in the case of a hotel, most if not all tourists do not have cars and therefore most guests will arrive by taxi or public transport. Car Hire for tourists generally occurs outside the Dublin area.

NRB Consulting Engineers Ltd were appointed to address the Traffic/Transportation issues associated with the proposal to construct a 93 bedroom hotel within the Dublin Docklands SDZ Their report concluded: "The site is bounded to the south by North Wall Quay, to the west by Castleforbes Road and to the east and north by adjacent undeveloped sites. The development consists of the construction of a 93 bedroom hotel, through the conversion and upgrading of an existing old Mill Building. No on-site staff or visitor parking is to be provided, but there is an agreement in place with an adjacent Car Park operator to provide guest parking and an associated valet service. A dedicated guest setdown and pick-up area is to be provided at the main entrance foyer fronting onto North Wall Quay.

This Transportation Assessment Report (TA) has been prepared to address the Traffic/Transportation issues associated with the operation of the hotel. The TA has been prepared broadly in accordance with the NRA’s Traffic & Transportation Assessment Guidelines, and addresses the worst case traffic impact of the proposal, in light of the city centre location and the complete absence of private associated car parking spaces. This Report addresses the adequacy of the existing and proposed road network to safely and appropriately accommodate the worst case vehicular demands including the layout and location of the proposed set down area on North Wall Quay. It also includes a site-specific Preliminary Mobility Management Plan for the Hotel.

The Report confirms that the road network and access junction are more than adequate to accommodate the worst case traffic associated with the facility, and that the hotel will operate in a safe and appropriate manner. Based on our study, we conclude that there are no adverse traffic/transportation capacity or operational issues associated with the opening of the proposed hotel development.�

Built Form: The existing building is currently in poor condition, with none of its original internal structure remains and is in need of significant refurbishment. The proposal is a high quality architectural response which seeks to protect and enhance the integrity of the Protected Structure and breathe new life into it. Further, it is submitted that the proposed development will contribute to the vitality and vibrancy of the public realm and streetscape and make a significant contribution to the emerging built form character within the North Docks area.

The building at present has a floor area of 2047.4 and the new building will have a floor area of 4389sq.m in total. It is submitting that this doubling of floor area on this site is reasonable in the context of neighbouring development and the expectation to densify and to make more sustainable use of valuable inner city land.

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Conclusion In conclusion, it is submitted that the proposal will contribute positively in the following manner. It will,    

Increase the number of hotels in the city; Add to the facilities in the Docklands area; Upgrade the streetscape in this location by providing a high quality building in terms of design and materials to replace a current vacant building; and The adjoining area will be enhanced and enlivened by the development.

It will do so in a manner that does not,   

Injure the visual amenities of the area; Create a traffic hazard or congestion; and It will not cause overdevelopment of the site.

It is submitted that the use now proposed is consistent with the provisions of the Dublin City Development Plan and is also consistent with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. Accordingly we request that the Planning Authority to grant permission for this welcome and appropriate development.

Manahan Planners 19 May 2015

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