The Ceannt Station Quarter will completely change the boundaries of what we now think of as the city centre, and provide a major boost to business, not just in the Ceannt Station area, but throughout the city.
This is the view of Fine Gael councillor Brian Walsh, who has called the proposed redevelopment of the Ceannt Station/docks area as “very exciting”.
However his party colleague Hildegarde Naughton has raised concerns about how planning such an ambitious development could be monitored, while Labour is concerned over the transport element in the plan.
At Monday’s city council meeting, councillors heard a presentation by CIE and the Galway Harbour Company on the proposed redevelopment of Ceannt Station and Galway Harbour areas.
The proposed €1 billion Ceannt Station Quarter development would have four rail platforms, 24 bus bays, 500 car spaces, dedicated taxi drop off and collect facilities, and 300 cycle spaces. It would also see an “enhanced passenger environment” with improved waiting areas.
The development includes a four star hotel, offices, leisure and fitness complex, cultural building, community centre, and crèche.
The entire development would cover 140,535sq m. A total of 19,026sq m would be for residential units; 46,014sq m for retail; and 6,328sq m for public transport.
The development would create 3,000 jobs, and a CIE spokesperson at the meeting said it would result in an increase in rail passengers to Galway. It is also claimed that bus passengers would increase to between 2.5 and three million.
The plan overall was welcomed by councillors although there was considerable concern expressed by Labour councillors that the transport element of the development is too small and should not be sacrificed for the sake of the retail and residential aspects.
Cllr Walsh feels the development will provide a major boost to business, not just in the Ceannt Station area, but throughout the city centre.
“The combined development will result in the creation of a new city centre, with the area from Shop Street to Quay Street becoming the ‘old town’,” he said. “I predict rents in the existing city centre will fall sharply as larger retailers move to the new Ceannt Station/docks development.”
Cllr Walsh believes this has the potential to allow for the extension of the ‘Latin Quarter’ and the creation of an artistic and cultural type shopping/dining/living area in the city centre.
However he said it is “essential” the proposed development is “planned properly” and that “wider” consultation with the public is needed.
Cllr Naughton said it is “essential” there is “good communication” with CIE, the Galway Harbour Company, the Galway City Council, An Bord Pleanála, and private developers to achieve an integrated and balanced plan.
“My concern is that the monitoring of the plan for this development may not be sufficient to ensure compliance with proper planning objectives,” she said. “This plan must ensure that commercial, residential, and cultural needs are in harmony with the requirements of the city.”
She also said the plan must “cater for the expansion needs of a growing city” by making provision and space for future transport and traffic requirements
