Johnny Ronan in latest bid to build Dublin’s tallest building
DEVELOPER Johnny Ronan is pinning his hopes on new draft guidelines on building heights and residential densities, along with a scaled back proposal, to help secure the green light for what would be Dublin’s tallest building.
In March, Mr Ronan was refused planning permission for the 88m, 22-storey high tower at Tara Street.
However, the developer has wasted little time in lodging revised plans for the tower block which would provide 16,557 sq m of new office space and hotel accommodation.
The new tower could accommodate around 890 office workers, a 106-bedroom hotel over four storeys and a restaurant on the top floor with an open terrace.
A socio-economic report on the scheme by Professor Constantin Gurdgiev – which was commissioned by Mr Ronan’s
‘Design has been scaled back to create a more elegant form’
Tanat – states that the estimated economic boost from the office jobs and the hotel in the development will be €248m-€280m a year.
Planning consultant for Mr Ronan’s Tanat Ltd, John Spain said the new tower plan has been revised to have regard to the reasons for refusal put forward by An Bord Pleanála and Dublin City Council.
The height of the new tower is the same as the original plan and Mr Spain said that in response to concerns over the visual impact, the revised design has been scaled back in terms of massing “to create a more elegant and slender building form”.
Mr Spain said that the “visual impact of the development makes a positive contribution to the city skyline”.
Mr Spain also said that there has been “a significant change” in planning policy since the last application with the Draft Urban Development and Building Height Guidelines 2018 and the National Planning Framework 2040.
Mr Spain said that the revised plan has been designed in accordance with policies from those two documents “which promote consolidation of urban development in city centres, increased building heights and increased densities in key urban and city centre locations”.
The planning documents state that the tower, if granted permission, will take 30 months to construct with between 313 and 375 workers employed.
The application is accompanied by letters of support from the Dublin Chamber, the Irish Hotels’ Federation; IDA Ireland and the Convention Centre Dublin.