Plan submitted to turn Dublin’s CHQ building into multi-stall food market

Plans for a food market and gala dinner venue at the CHQ building will make the building and Dublin’s docklands destinations worth visiting for domestic visitors and tourists alike, according to Mervyn Greene, director at Custom House Quarter.

In a letter accompanying a planning application which seeks permission to turn the ground floor of the listed 19th-century building into a multi-stall food market, with an event space on a mezzanine level, Mr Greene said that the intention is to make the CHQ building a public recreation centre and a destination to attract tourists.

The scheme by Custom House Quarter Ltd also involves the construction of a five-storey building, and the Cork businessman said that the office space was required for the 75-100 employees supporting the new various businesses at the location in the future.

The CHQ building is located in the IFSC on Custom House Quay and comprises a restored former early 19th-century warehouse building.

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A planning report lodged with Dublin City Council by planning consultants John Spain and Associates said that the proposals were designed “to consolidate and expand the existing retail, food and beverage offerings within The CHQ Building and further supplement these with a high quality food market which will be unique to Dublin and further establish CHQ as a destination location”.

Mr Spain said that the proposal will contribute to the daytime and night-time economies. The gala dinner venue will have capacity to host dining events for up to 620 people.

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The planning report said that the proposed development “will secure the long term and sustainable use of the historic asset”.

Fáilte Ireland, according to Mr Spain, has an identified need for venues of similar capacity to attract international conferences and the firm intends to seek a small grant aid assistance from Fáilte Ireland for the gala dinner venue dimension to the proposal.

Mr Spain said that the food market was inspired by internationally recognised features such as the Time Out market in Lisbon “and provides an unrivalled experience for visitors to Dublin with 30 food market stalls proposed at the southern part of the ground floor”.

The proposals seek to build on the success of CHQ which was purchased by the applicants in 2013 and has expanded occupancy from 20 per cent in 2014 to 80 per cent in 2019 with employee numbers rising to 650, Mr Spain said.

Mr Spain went on to say that the CHQ building has grown exponentially in the last decade and the new proposals will contribute positively to the aim of creating a cultural quarter around George’s Dock through increased footfall and promoting active use during day and evening hours.