Approval of ILAC centre plan welcomed by architect

The architect of the planned £100 million refurbishment of Dublin's ILAC centre, Mr Andre Wejchert, said the project's approval by An Bord Pleanala on Friday was a "welcome link in the chain of the rejuvenation of Dublin's north inner city".

The proposal, which had been opposed by An Taisce, is to refurbish the shopping centre, adding 83,340 square feet of retail space and 235 apartments.

While An Bord Pleanala has not made major changes to the proposal as envisaged by Mr Wejchert, it has insisted that the Moore Street entrance to the centre must remain open.

The Moore Street frontage is to be demolished. The anchor tenant, Dunnes Stores, is to be relocated from the car-park end of the centre to the Moore Street frontage and the Central Library is to be relocated to the corner of Moore Street and Parnell Street.

The corporation's youth information service is to occupy the ground floor, with the relocated library above it. The extra retail space will be mostly accommodated in a second floor of shopping units.

The existing Dunnes Stores is to be used for larger shop units, in keeping with market trends.

The ILAC centre was opened in 1981 as a single-storey shopping centre with a multi-storey car park.

It was refurbished in patches over the years, but it was not until 1997, when Irish Life acquired the corporation's interest in the centre, that the prospect of a wholesale redevelopment was mooted.

Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday Mr Wejchert - whose other projects include the original Belfield campus for University College Dublin and more recently, the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, said the redevelopment was a vital and significant link in the rejuvenation of O'Connell Street, the Harp project, Smith field and the new museum.

"There will be almost 240 residences in the project so it will be a vibrant injection of people into the area linking with the proposed rejuvenation of O'Connell Street and Harp/Smithfield and on to Collins Barracks. It is a very important link in the north innercity."

Mr Wejchert said he had only briefly seen the ruling from An Bord Pleanala, which was announced on Friday, but was pleased that there appeared to be fewer than 10 conditions attached to its upholding of Dublin Corporation's initial grant of approval.

Mr Michael Smith of An Taisce said the body had been notified about the decision, although he did not have a copy to hand.

He was not pleased that the Parnell Street end of the redevelopment would now be higher than existing buildings, he said, but added that the details would have to be considered at more length.