A new 3-yr plan has been announced to transform vacant and rundown buildings in Dublin city into housing for key workers such as gardaí, nurses, and teachers, reports Breaking News.
The initiative will begin with a pilot on Middle Abbey Street and North Frederick Street, where building owners will be supported in restoring their properties.
Authorities have stated that enforcement will follow for those who fail to cooperate, reports Breaking News.
Speaking on Newstalk, Richard Guiney of the business group Dublin Town said he welcomed the new approach.
“I’d like to see some commercial use of the ground floor to maintain the footfall, but I’ve been in plenty of buildings in Dublin city, the likes of Henry Street etc, where you’ve got 3,000 or 4,000 square foot of unutilised property that could make quite attractive apartments,” reports Breaking News.
According to The Irish Times, the council’s “bold urban-rejuvenation pilot” seeks to fast-track the delivery of cost-rental homes for vital city workers.
The two streets in Dublin’s north inner city have particularly high vacancy and dereliction rates. Although the council owns some of the buildings, most are privately held.
Supports and incentives will be provided by the council to encourage owners to reactivate these properties. In cases involving “non-co-operative owners,” the council says it will prioritise enforcement measures, including potentially acquiring the buildings compulsorily, reports Breaking News.
Turning empty buildings and unused upper floors above retail spaces into housing for essential workers was one of ten major recommendations made by the Taskforce for Dublin. This was part of a €1 billion regeneration plan for the O’Connell Street area launched last October by then-taoiseach Simon Harris.
Essential workers highlighted in the report include those in healthcare, public transport, local government, gardaí, teaching, retail, and hospitality — all considered vital to city life, yet often unable to afford housing within it, reports Breaking News.
Speaking on Newstalk, Councillor Cian Farrell explained that the pilot’s first step involves creating a digital map of the two target streets.
“So we’ve a really good baseline of what’s going on in the street, where can we intervene, what buildings, is it occupied, is it activated to its fullest extent, what condition is it in, what planning history is available and what development potential does it have,” he said, reports Breaking News.
“And this is the core of the whole pilot. If we don’t have this information, we’re kind of throwing darts in the dark,” reports Breaking News.
Dublin’s Lord Mayor Ray McAdam also told Newstalk the project could be expanded citywide, if the initial trial is successful.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
