The only similarity between the draft master plan for Dublin's redundant docklands, published yesterday, and the plans for the Custom House Docks, unveiled 10 years ago, is the style of the artists' impressions - all colourful, jolly pictures of what the area might look like when it's all developed. The draft draws heavily from the report of the Riverrun Consortium, published three months ago, even though the Dublin Docklands Development Authority distanced itself from its consultants on that occasion to the extent that it even seemed to be disowning their detailed and discursive report.
Yesterday, the DDDA's chairman, Mr Lar Bradshaw, paid public tribute to Riverrun for its "excellent report" and later explained that the draft plan incorporates the many "good ideas" it contained. In effect, it is a tighter, more focused version of what the consultants served up.
It is also, if anything, even more ambitious. Whereas Riverrun suggested that 17,000 jobs could be created by redeveloping the docklands area - which, at 1,300 acres, is more than 50 times the size of Temple Bar - the authority has gone for broke by setting a much higher target of up to 40,000 jobs.
Mr Bradshaw said this had been done after consultation with Forfas, the overall State agency responsible for industrial development; it was also a recognition of how the Irish economy was growing. He would much rather fall short of an ambitious target than adopt a conservative one.
"This may not be very smart, but that's the way it is", he declared, adding that the new target was also being driven by the "personal ambition" of the authority's board. "We've put forward a set of performance targets over the period against which we're going to measure ourselves, so we'll have nowhere to hide."
Mr Gus Mac Amhlaigh, the DDDA's manager, said the only major change in the draft compared to the Riverrun report was on transport, where new bridges over the River Liffey - which are a matter for Dublin Corporation - have become "aspirational", at least until the proposed port tunnel is built.
Mr Bradshaw pointed out that the "Dublin Technopole" proposal in the report had been fleshed out in more detail, as had the idea of establishing a "Saol Scoil", for lifelong learning. This has been renamed as a Centre for Educational Access, aimed at opening up job opportunities for the local community.
The whole notion of involving the local community in a meaningful way is one of the key elements of the DDDA's approach, in contrast to its predecessor, the Custom House Docks Development Authority, which could afford to ignore the people of the area because it had no legislative duty to do otherwise.
One of the priorities of the DDDA is to acquire from the Port and Docks Board - preferably by agreement - the campshires (narrow strips of land between the road and the river on both sides of the Liffey). These are to be developed as public promenades (with cycleways) to exploit their value as amenities.
Negotiations on the acquisition of the campshires are already under way, despite an attempt by the Port and Docks Board to boost their value by seeking planning permission for a number of developments in these areas. A decision on these schemes, which the DDDA has opposed, is expected this week from An Bord Pleanala.
Asked why the draft plan makes no specific provision for a national conference centre in the docklands, Mr Bradshaw admitted that the authority had "shied away from it" because of the continuing uncertainty surrounding this project. But he said it would be "a great thing for Dublin" if the centre was located in the area.
The availability of a 12-acre site just east of the Custom House Docks for the conference centre has also been thrown into doubt by yesterday's confirmation that it will be largely required for further expansion of the International Financial Services Centre. However, there are 200 acres of land requiring redevelopment in the docklands area.
Mr Bradshaw said some of the "anchor projects" for the area - such as a proposed science museum or centre for the performing arts - were "indicative". "If someone comes in with a different spin, measured against the targets of jobs, education, social affinity and vibrancy we're trying to create down here, that's fine", he added.
He also made it clear that the authority does not feel that it needs to acquire every piece of undeveloped land in the area to "make things happen". The emphasis would be on "harnessing the creativity of the private sector", although the DDDA would be acquiring areas such as the campshires to "hand them back to the people of Dublin".
Mr Bradshaw said it would also be making "absolutely crucial investments in education" as well as insisting that new developments in the area should contribute to the authority's overall vision. Only schemes which complied with this would be recommended for tax incentives.
The package of incentives specified in the draft plan will not be available on a blanket basis throughout the docklands area. They will be applied on a discretionary basis - on the recommendation of the authority to the Minister for Finance - to portions of the area which would not attract development otherwise.
Referring to the contaminated Gas Company land at the Grand Canal Docks, Mr Mac Amhlaigh said a report by British consultants on how best to deal with this "timebomb" would be completed this month. The cost of decontamination is estimated at between £8 million and £16 million and may be met by a Government grant.
Asked about residual cynicism among local people about the docklands planning process, Mr Bradshaw said it would "only diminish when they see tangible benefits from this".