O’Devaney Gardens flats could be reopened to help tackle Dublin housing shortage

Boarded up flats in a Dublin estate largely demolished in preparation for regeneration more than six years ago could be reopened to address the city’s housing shortage.

Dublin City Council is considering “re-tenanting” some or all of the remaining 128 flats in O’Devaney Gardens, one of five social housing schemes which was to be developed under a public-private partnership between developer Bernard McNamara and the council.

The deals with Mr McNamara collapsed in 2008. The council drew up plans to redevelop O’Devaney Gardens using public funds and secured permission for the €32 million project from An Bord Pleanála in 2011.

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Nine of the 13 blocks of flats in the 1950s O’Devaney Gardens complex, close to the Phoenix Park in Dublin 7, have been demolished, and a handful of residents remain. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

However, two years ago it conceded it could not raise the necessary funds.

‘Love/Hate’

Nine of the 13 blocks of flats in the 1950s complex, close to the Phoenix Park in Dublin 7, have been demolished, and a handful of residents remain. The complex has been used as a set for the RTÉ drama

Love/Hate

.

The complex, on a plot of almost 15 acres, has attracted joyriders and in the summer of 2013 was used for illegal raves.

A targeted Garda operation has reduced crime in the complex, but the remaining flats are in a poor state of repair.

A housing and development regeneration progress report by the council’s housing department confirms the “regeneration scheme is not actively being pursued” but says “re-tenanting of all or part” of the four remaining blocks is being considered and that costs and time scales are being determined.

Retrofit

A spokesman for the council said no one was available to answer queries on the proposals.

However, the council’s head of housing, Dick Brady, last year said the council intended to move away from large scale demolition and reconstruction of its older flat complexes in favour of a “deep-retrofitting” programme to bring them up to modern standards.

This work has already been undertaken in some senior citizen complexes and will be used for the €16 million regeneration of Dolphin House on the other side of the city.

Tánaiste Joan Burton in recent months described O’Devaney Gardens as “one of the most fantastic housing sites actually in Europe” and one she wanted to see developed.

“In any other country that would be a premium housing site . . . not being sat on but actually being developed. They’re in the city, they’re beside schools, they’re beside transport and they’re beside employment.”