Plans lodged to turn ‘underutilised’ office space in Galway city into boutique hotel
Plans have been put forward to turn an “underutilised” office space in Galway city centre into a boutique hotel.
Life insurance agency Acorn Life, located on St Augustine Street in the centre of Galway city, have put forward planning permissions to turn their offices into a 27-suite hotel with dining and guest facilities.
Plans include retaining the existing roof top terrace and adding a passenger lift, which the building does not have at present.
The applicant intends to “sensitively repurpose” the building into accommodation as it remains an active, historically significant building in the famous Latin Quarter.
“Availability of hotel accommodation within the medieval core remains comparatively limited relative to the level of tourism activity experienced in this part of the city,” the application reads.
The existing 977sqm of floor area is used as an “underutilised office property” on all three floors, the application reads.
While the space is arranged for office use at present, it faces “limitations in terms of accommodating modern office occupier requirements” such as an open floor layout.
“The proposed works focus primarily on the internal reorganisation of the building in order to accommodate hotel use. This approach allows the existing building fabric to be retained while ensuring that the internal layout functions efficiently for its new purpose.”
The application stresses the importance of preserving such a building with its historically relevant façade and unique location as well as the pertinence in utilizing the space for intended use.
Public submissions remain open until April 14 and a decision is expected by May 5.