Mallow’s Central Hotel back at centre stage
TWO years after council planners shot down an ambitious proposal by Mallow Capital Limited to refurbish the former Central Hotel in Mallow, the same company has submitted a revised application for works to the landmark building.
The new application makes provision for ground floor retail and a cafe, and six residential units on its upper two floors of the building, which has been idle for more than a decade.
The proposed development also includes a 672 sq metre retail unit to the rear of the site, with pedestrian and vehicular access provided onto St James’ Avenue.
For many years speculation has surrounded the future of the former hotel, which closed unexpectedly in 2007. Four years later, two fires within the space of six months caused extensive damage to the landmark building, which is a protected structure, and it was subsequently placed on the derelict sites register.
It was purchased in 2015 for a sum believed to be in the region of €300,000. The following year an application for a major refurbishment of the building was lodged by Mallow Capital Limited, which was subsequently shot down by planners.
The Central Hotel was likely the oldest hotel in Mallow and the building is prominently located right at the middle of the Main Street in the heart of the town. However, following fire damage it became an eyesore many locals wanted improved.
A NEW planning application has been lodged with county council planners for the refurbishment of the former Central Hotel in Mallow.
The application has been lodged in the name of Mallow Capital Limited, the same company that was refused permission back in 2016 for a major plan of works at the landmark site on Thomas Davis Street.
The new application makes provision for a change of use to the ground floor of the protected structure from hotel to partial retail use for a 158sq metre cafe/retail development with storage and office space.
This will incorporate the demolition of existing function rooms and bars and alterations to the front side and rear elevations of the building.
The plan includes a proposal to convert the upper two floors of the building to residential use, incorporating six, two-bed units accessed via the existing Western Lane.
It also includes a 672 sq metre retail unit to the rear of the site, with pedestrian and vehicular access onto St James’ Avenue.
For years speculation has surrounded the future of the hotel building, which closed its doors overnight in 2007. It rapidly fell into disrepair becoming a notorious eyesore, with two fires in the space of six months in 2011 causing extensive damage to the premises, which was subsequently placed on the derelict sites register.
Mallow Town Council subsequently took legal proceedings against the building’s former owner, Frank Mulcahy, under the Local Government Sanitary Services Act (1964) after he failed to reply to an order to undertake remedial works.
In June 2013 Mallow Town Council took matters into its own hands, appointing a specialist company to undertake safety works at the hotel. This included the installation of a mesh banner on the exterior façade.
At a court sitting the owners, listed as Stratfield Ltd, Frank Mulcahy, Formenton Ltd and Mulcahy Enterprises, were hit with a fine of €91,033 plus legal costs under the Dangerous Structures provision of the 1964 bill.
This total also included recouping the cost of the remedial work undertaken by Mallow town Council.
In July of 2015 it emerged the building had been sold for a sum believed to be in the region of €300,000, without the local authority recouping the money owned for the safety works it had undertaken.
A Cork County Council spokesperson this week told The Corkman that the authority still hoped to claim back outstanding monies it was owed and was “actively pursuing” the matter through legal channels that may result in placing the onus on the current owner.
The ambitious 2016 refurbishment plan was shot down by council planners on the grounds that proposed changes to the first floor would “detract negatively from and seriously injure the character, integrity, visual amenities and setting” of the protected structure as well as those of neighbouring ones. They also ruled that it would constitute “piecemeal and disorderly” development and would not “contribute positively to the vitality and vibrancy of Mallow town centre.”
Planners further ruled that in regard to the siting, size, scale and “poor quality design of a retail unit contained within the plan, the development would “detract significantly” from the special character and integrity of the protected structure and would not “integrate successfully” with the surrounding townscape.
Little is known about Dublin-based Mallow Capital Ltd, which according to solocheck.ie, was set up in September 2014, with the site listing its principal activity as the “buying and selling of own real estate.”