MetroLink has stepped up its plan to deliver Dublin’s long-awaited metro system with an agreement for a new office headquarters in the city’s north docklands.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TFI) has signed a new long-term lease on Metrolink’s behalf for 49,500sq ft (4,599sq m) of space at Coopers Cross, the major-mixed use campus developed by US-headquartered real estate investment firm Kennedy Wilson.
Metrolink’s new offices in Building Two of the scheme is expected to provide it with sufficient space for more than 400 workers.
“We are delighted to establish our new programme office at Coopers Cross. This move marks another significant milestone for the MetroLink team, providing us with a centrally located office space that directly facilitates our increased workforce as we transition from planning into the critical next stages of procurement and delivery,” MetroLink programme director Seán Sweeney said.
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“Furthermore, a key pillar of the MetroLink programme is our commitment to sustainable development, and Coopers Cross, with its excellent green credentials, perfectly mirrors these values.”
Stefan Foster, who is Kennedy Wilson’s head of acquisitions and commercial for Ireland, said: “MetroLink’s decision is a strong endorsement of the quality of the office specifications, sustainability credentials and amenity offering at the campus, which align with the scale and ambition of Ireland’s largest public-transport infrastructure project.”
Proposed 25 years ago, MetroLink is expected to cost more than €10 billion to build.
The 18.8km railway line, which is expected to begin operations in the mid-2030, is to have 16 stops between Swords, north Co Dublin, and Charlemont near Ranelagh, south Dublin.
Travelling mostly underground, the MetroLink’s remote-controlled, driverless trains are expected to serve areas including Dublin Airport, Ballymun, Glasnevin, Phibsborough and the city centre.
A trip from Swords to the city centre is expected to take about 25 minutes. Journeys from the airport to the city are predicted to take about 20 minutes.
Metrolink’s offices at Coopers Cross are to sit alongside those of global financial services company Wells Fargo, which recently relocated its EU bank operations to the campus.
The cultural space at the development is also now home to the “International Centre for the Image”, which is operated by PhotoIreland in partnership with Kennedy Wilson.
Located just off North Wall Quay, Coopers Cross extends to six acres and takes up a city block fronting Mayor Street Upper, Castleforbes Road, Sheriff Street Upper and New Wapping Street.
The campus comprises 381,000sq ft (35,396sq m) of grade-A office space across two blocks.
The offices at Coopers Cross are near 471 apartments, residential amenities, retail space and a new public park.
