Council outlines ‘serious’ concerns about planned redevelopment of St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre

Dublin City Council has outlined its “serious concerns” over the planned reduction in retail, food and beverage floor space in the proposed €100m redevelopment plan for the St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre.

In January, Davy entity, DTDL Ltd lodged plans with the council to redevelop the shopping centre. This would see the centre get a complete facelift, provide an additional 21,419 sq m in gross floor area space and include a reconfigured mall opening on to St Stephen’s Green.

The DTDL scheme would add two storeys to the existing six-storey shopping centre.

However, seeking revised plans, the council has told DTDL Ltd that the site is located in the city’s retail core “and plays a role in maintaining and affirming the status of the city centre as the premier shopping area in the country”.

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The council has stated that a greater mix of publicly accessible uses throughout the building would generate additional activity and help to rejuvenate the existing centre and has asked DTDL to address its concerns in this area.

In its extensive further information request, the council has stated that it also has concerns with the height, scale, massing and articulation of the planned upper floors.

The council states that the views of the building rising well above the parapet line of the buildings on Grafton Street are of particular concern, and suggests a refinement of the design of the vertical extension to the centre.

The council also states that the applicant has not sufficiently justified the level of demolition/alteration proposed, and that the Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment (AHIA) does not adequately address the significance of this building.

The council has asked DTDL to provide a justification for the level of demolition proposed and a comprehensive appraisal of the building and how it contributes to the character of the Conservation Area and nearby Grafton Street ACA by a conservation expert with particular experience in 20th century architecture.

A report lodged with the planning application states that the scheme provides an opportunity to deliver an additional anchor unit to further strengthen the centre. The council has asked DTDL to state where in the scheme the anchor unit would be provided.

Outlining the need for the scheme, consultants for DTDL have described the existing St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre as “outdated” and “underperforming”.