AIB f ights Ronan’s €200m offices

JOHNNY Ronan’s plans for a new €200million office block in Dublin 4 are being objected to by AIB.

The socialite developer acquired the site containing four vacant office blocks and surrounding land in front of AIB’s Bankcentre, opposite the RDS, for €67.5million.

The development, codenamed Project Pegasus, will be 52,247 sq m, more than five times the floor area of the existing four blocks that would be demolished.

However, AIB said it had serious concerns over the nature and extent of the proposal. Planning consultants RPS stated, on behalf of AIB, that the Bankcentre contains ‘a nationally important cash management facility’. It argued that a terrace that is part of the plan would have a significant view of the existing AIB offices and this could j eopardise security at the Bankcentre.

The bank also objected on a number of other grounds including traffic safety and flood risk implications. More than 20 objections have been lodged against the plan including one from An Taisce.

In the application, planning consultants for Mr Ronan’s firm, RGRE Ballsbridge Developments Ltd, have told Dublin City Council that the site is a suitable location to meet the demand for larger office floor areas within this area of Dublin. A decision is due next month, but a request for further information on the plans is expected.