Councillors will be shown a design animation at their monthly plenary meeting next week, a fortnight after they first toured the building on the Monivea Road purchased by the previous city council.
In 2022, the local authority purchased a newly constructed empty office building, and an extra 200 car parking spaces, with a €45.5 million loan approved by councillors.
A tender to fit out the new building has been issued, to construct modern meeting and public engagement facilities, Audio Visual systems, better public access, and improved space for staff and civic events. It is understood the ground floor will include a double-height foyer public space, and a council chamber laid in a horseshoe shape, with a top table for departmental directors. Two storeys of open plan offices with spectacular views will be capped by a top-floor staff canteen, and the city manager’s office.
Speaking to the Galway Advertiser, the council’s chief executive, Leonard Cleary, said he was aiming for “Platinum LEED Status” (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ) so Galway’s new City Hall becomes an international showcase building for sustainable development in Ireland.
Observers have warned that the final bill for the city, including purchase and fit-out, could range from €55 million to €75 million because of extreme construction price inflation since plans were first drawn up.
Officials say the move from College Road, and from three other rented buildings in the city centre, avoids a combined estimated cost of €107 million by consolidating four existing office sites into one. They calculate refurbishing and expanding the current City Hall on College Road, built and expanded in the 1980s, would cost €68 million, plus a further €38 million for temporary relocation during renovation.
The council is planning to make the move in 2026, after a public information campaign, and ongoing staff and union engagement.
