A new phase of Dublin City’s regeneration kicked off last week. Ministers Eoghan Murphy and Paschal Donohoe, along with Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring, turned the sod on the O’Devaney Gardens development. The first phase will deliver 56 social homes with a budget of more than €20million. This location is one of three sites Dublin City Council is developing for the Housing Land Initiative. In total, this project will provide over 1,600 homes and develop three new urban quarters. Next in line for development are St. Michaels Estate, Inchicore, and Oscar Traynor Road, Coolock.
Development Plans
O’Devaney Gardens is located just west of the City Centre, 3km from O’Connell Street. The development lies between North Circular Road, Montpellier Gardens, Montpellier Park, St Bricin’s Military Hospital and the Oxmanastown/Stoneybatter area. When completed, these residential quarters will comprise of quality homes supported by a range of commercial, community, and recreational facilities.
Originally, the site was developed as a social housing scheme in 1954, with 278 apartments throughout 13 four-storey blocks. In recent years there were plans for development under a public-private partnership between the Council and a private developer. Unfortunately, that deal collapsed in 2008 following the economic downturn. At that time, the site was cleared to make way for the redevelopment; the tenants were rehoused and the blocks demolished. It was 2010 when the Council produced a new Masterplan for the gross site of O’Devaney Gardens.
O’Devaney Gardens: Reactions
During the turning of the sod, Minister for Housing, Planning & Local GovernmentEoghan Murphy said: ‘Regeneration goes beyond mere bricks and mortar and in order to be successful and sustainable in the long term, requires the rebuilding of a community and a strengthening of community bonds.’
Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe added: ‘This Pathfinder Project, adjacent to both Luas lines and other transport links, has the potential to be a model for sustainable communities, with mixed tenure accommodation, co-located with educational, social and cultural amenities’
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