Once the former Corrib Great Southern Hotel is demolished, any future use and development of the site must involve the local community and be of benefit to the people on the east side of the city.
This is the view among many politicians from the area, as the welcome and relief which greeted the announcement that the former hotel, located on the Dublin Road, and considered one of the city's worst eyesores, is to be demolished in December.
Social Democrats Galway City East councillor, Owen Hanley, has called for the site to be used for housing and educational facilities, while Fianna Fáil councillor Alan Cheevers believes the site should be primarily educational.
Over the past year, the Galway City Council issued Statutory Orders to the registered owners of the former Corrib Great Southern, the former Connacht Laundry site, and former Oasis venue in Salthill, using its powers under the Derelict Sites 1990. The orders require the demolition of the buildings to ground level and that works be completed within a specified time frame.
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In a statement City Hall said, “These works will be the culmination of significant effort by the Environment Department of Galway City Council to reduce dereliction across the city and will be welcomed by local area residents, elected representatives, and the wider community.”
An 'awful eyesore'
Independent Galway City East councillor Terry O’Flaherty said the demolition will bring an end to the anti-social behaviour the derelict site had attracted.
“This unsightly building has been a haven for anti-social activities including numerous fires in the property since it closed in 2008,” she said. “There are a number of houses looking directly onto this awful eyesore and the local people had major concerns that someone would end up getting killed or seriously injured in the property.”
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Sinn Féin Galway West TD Mairéad Farrell agreed the site was “an eyesore, a safety hazard, and a waste of a valuable land resource for the people of Galway”. However she questioned why it had taken so long to reach this point.
'Galway City Council have been called on to ensure the site is developed in a way that will benefit the local community'
“Planning Permission to demolish the current structures was granted in 2010,” she said. “The site was added to the derelict sites register in January 2015, over five years ago. Here we are almost 11 years later with news finally emerging that there is a plan to demolish this structure. “
Future use must see public involvement
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City Hall recently agreed a demolition plan with the owners of the former Corrib Great Southern Hotel. Demolition will begin in early December, and is expected to take four months.
Currently there are no further agreed plans for the site beyond demolition and clearance, and any future development will be subject to the planning process.
'Communities in the east side could get a lot of use out of a new public realm area that becomes an iconic part of the city'
However, Social Democrats Galway City East councillor, Owen Hanley said it was important to begin discussing the future use of the site, as “nobody wants to see an empty site” remain that way. "The goal isn't demolition, it's getting sustainable development and use of the location," he said. “This is a crucial site for the Eastside and demolition is only the beginning to unlocking its potential."
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Cllr Hanley said the site should become a mixed use development of housing and educational facilities, which would also support the local economy. "The communities in the east side could get a lot of use out of a new public realm area that becomes an iconic part of the city," he said.
He said the key to ensuring the best use of the site was through "engagement with local residents and planning something that supports their needs".
Meanwhile Fianna Fáil Galway City East councillor Alan Cheevers, believes the site should be used to allow the GMIT to expand its facilities, especially as 30 per cent of the site is zoned educational. "I would like to see a facility running a programme for graduates for the medicare sector," he said. "I believe this could feed into the multinational medicare sector in Parkmore."
Dep Farrell also called for “strong engagement with the local community on any new plans", as did People Before Profit Galway, with its spokesperson, Adrian Curran, saying the city council must "ensure the site is developed in such a way that will benefit the local community”.
