NCAD set to abandon move to Belfield

The board of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is understood to have decided not to pursue the plan to relocate from Thomas Street in Dublin to the University College Dublin (UCD) campus in Belfield.

Indications that such a decision was made follow a board meeting last Friday and a statement to that effect is expected shortly. Ever since it emerged late last October that NCAD had been involved in exploratory discussions with UCD about such a move, the proposal has attracted widespread opposition from NCAD students and staff, and from the membership of Aosdána.

Students have expressed their opposition in a series of demonstrations. The staff of the fine art faculty came out publicly against the move. Staff and student representatives were elected on the basis that they were against it.

NCAD has been located in the erstwhile Powers Distillery in Thomas Street since it acquired the premises in 1980. It has since increased its holdings of adjacent land, and a three-phase campus development plan was drawn up.

If completed, this plan would in theory meet all of NCAD's needs in terms of space and facilities. But the estimated price tag, close to €80 million, has proved a serious stumbling block. The money has not been forthcoming from the Government and a mooted public-private partnership has not materialised.

The argument for the move is that, because of the boom in property prices, the sale of the Thomas Street campus would finance a purpose-built facility at Belfield.

Critics have argued the move would end NCAD's historic connection with the city centre and would be detrimental to the identity and ethos of the college. They point to the advantages of the Thomas Street location as a living, vibrant community.

It is close to the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), the Chester Beatty Library, the National Gallery and the Hugh Lane Gallery. In addition, the removal of NCAD would be a loss to the council's ambitious plans to develop the cultural identity of the Thomas Street area.

The NCAD board is chaired by Joe Mulholland and includes Marie Bourke of the National Gallery; solicitor and politician Liam Crowley; artist Betty Newman-Maguire; designer John Sherwin; and politician Mairin Quill. It also includes elected staff and student representatives John Brennan, Jennifer Caffrey, Theresa McKenna and Andrew Folan, as well as NCAD director Colm O'Briain.

Though widely perceived as in favour of the move to UCD, Mr O'Briain has consistently described the plan as merely one potential avenue worth exploring, given the absence of funds necessary for the development of Thomas Street.