Mallow businessman has grand designs on eyesore Central Hotel
LOCAL BUSINESSMAN IN NEGOTIATIONS TO BUY LANDMARK SITE AND TRANSFORM IT INTO A THRIVING COMMERCIAL HUB
THE former Central Hotel in Mallow has once again come under the spotlight – this time potentially for all the right reasons.
It has emerged this week that a well-known local businessman is in the final stage of negotiations to buy the dilapidated town-centre structure and has ambitious plans for the future of the landmark building.
Speculation has surrounded the future of the former hotel since it closed its doors in 2007, with five fires over the following years causing extensive damage to the building.
In 2016 it emerged a Dublin-based property developer had purchased the building for a sum believed to be in the region of €300,000, and a subsequent application for a major plan of works there, lodged in the name of Mallow Capital Ltd, was shot down by planners.
Fast forward to 2018, and the company lodged a second planning application for the site, which was finally granted conditional approval after a number of further information requests the following June. However, the site has laid idle since.
This week, a Cork County Council official confirmed contact had been made with the authority’s rates department to see if there were any rates outstanding on the building. This is normal practice prior to a vacant building being purchased.
“Any proposal to purchase and redevelop this site would be most welcome,” said the official.
The chair of the authority’s Kanturk/Mallow MDC, Cllr Pat Hayes, said it was his understanding that contracts for the sale of the building will be signed imminently.
“This is great news for Mallow and will shine a new light on the site. The redevelopment plans include demolishing the existing structure and
replacing it with a new hotel, retail and residential units and a top-floor restaurant with a rooftop terrace,” said Cllr Hayes.
He said the redevelopment of the site would create numerous local job opportunities, both during construction and once the project was completed.
“This site has been a blot on the local landscape for many years. Hopefully, we will see it cleared and the timber hoarding finally removed once and for all. I firmly believe this is going to be the kick-start that Mallow needs for the regeneration of our town centre,” said Cllr Hayes.
“There is so much positivity happening locally at present with the development of Mallow Castle including a new playground, the town park, the boardwalk and progression on the Northern Relief road and the M20. The re-development of the former Central Hwotel site will be the icing on the cake”.