More than 100 city centre parking spaces are likely to be lost with the planned redevelopment of Parnell Square, writes Olivia Kelly
Plans for major improvement works at Parnell Square will be presented to Dublin city councillors tomorrow, and are due to go on public display in the next two weeks.
The plans involve extending the O'Connell Street redevelopment programme from the Parnell Monument to around the square.
The revamp will follow the style of O'Connell Street, with granite paving, tree-planting and the widening of paths.
It is not yet known how many, if any, of the on-street metred parking spaces will be left on the square. However, the city management and councillors agree the square should no longer be used as a major parking resource for the city.
"We want to do away with parking cars on the square, and make the place more pedestrianised," said Cllr Tom Stafford (Fianna Fáil), chair of the Dublin Central Area Committee of the council.
"The idea is to see it heading the same way as O'Connell Street, with a better mix of public transport and pedestrian use to bring out the quality of the square."
Mr Stafford admits that there could be strong opposition to reducing the already limited city parking. "It will cause pandemonium at first; it always gets very emotive when we're talking about cars . . . We don't want Parnell Square to continue as a black spot and become even more of a car park for the new O'Connell Street."
He said Parnell Square should be a major cultural centre, with the Hugh Lane Gallery, the Writers' Museum, the Garden of Remembrance, the Gate theatre and the Ambassador theatre on three of its four sides. The square also has the Rotunda Hospital and the 19th century "Findlater's" church.
The redevelopment plans, to be outlined by architects and council planners tomorrow, will be completed in phases, and likely to start at Parnell Street to the west of the Parnell monument.
The plans include proposals for a derelict site between Conway's pub and the New Jury's Hotel on Parnell Street, and a cleaning and upgrading programme for a number of buildings. There will also be proposals for a vacant plot between the back of the Garden of Remembrance and the hospital.
Proposals to relocate the Abbey Theatre to the former Christian Brothers school Coláiste Mhuire to north of the square are unlikely to form part of plans tomorrow. While the site has not been completely ruled out, according to the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, problems with acquiring adjacent buildings mean that plans to relocate the national theatre at the site have been shelved.
The council hopes to get work under way on Parnell Square this year.