Dublin City Councillors 'left in the dark' about Camden Yard purchase plans
Dublin City Council’s plans to acquire the Camden Yard site has sparked criticism over councillors being “left in the dark” and uninformed about this multi-million euro bid.
Sinn Fein Councillor Daithi Doolan expressed his disappointment after learning about this “multi-million spending spree” in the media, rather than having representatives actively involved in the decision. The Council has recently confirmed it has entered discussion to purchase the former DIT site on Kevin Street.
The purchase could pave the way for more than 800 new homes in the city centre - and become the new civic office headquarters for Dublin City Council. While Cllr Doolan he welcomed plans for more public housing, he stressed that to be blindsided by the media announcement “is no way for the Dublin City Council's Chief Executive to do business.”
“Any decision on these two sites should be about maximising public housing delivery, as well as enhanced services for citizens and value for money. The scraps of information councillors have been given on this major proposal is nowhere near enough to make a judgement on that basis,” Cllr Doolan said.
“This is a major decision and Sinn Fein has questions we want answered. I contacted senior management seeking clarification on the situation and Sinn Fein requested a full briefing on the proposal to buy Camden Yard and redevelop Wood Quay. This briefing was refused with the manager claiming they had no access to the facts and figures.”
Cllr Doolan believes this situation raises serious questions about the “Chief Executive’s commitment to governance, transparency and accountability.” He called for a full council meeting as soon as possible, so that representatives can be informed first hand on the details of the plan. “This is taxpayers' money and we want to hold the Chief Executive to account before any proposal is signed off on,” he said.
In a note circulated to councillors, Chief Executive Richard Shakespeare said heads of agreement have signed off on the purchase and that they have entered a ten-week period of due diligence.” The prohibitive costs of retrofitting the council’s existing headquarters was another motivation behind the purchase, as the cost of meeting current climate commitment needs is estimated to be between €350m and €400m.
The on-site buildings at Camden Yard had been demolished in 2019 by then-owner Westridge Real Estate, who were redeveloping the area for the mixed-use office and build-to-rent apartment scheme in 2022. However, construction stalled and Grant Thornton were appointed the leaders of the project last year.
Mr Shakespeare explained that the purchase would enable the development of “modern, sustainable workplaces for staff and improved public services for citizens.” “Developing modern, energy-efficient accommodation at Camden Yard would significantly reduce our operational emissions while freeing the Wood Quay site for much-needed public housing,” he said.
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