Work at the multi-million euro Crown Control development in Mervue has stopped and will not be starting up again in January.
But despite the constant speculation that surrounds the project, its developers insist that work has only stopped because they have managed to secure a “key” client for the site. They claim that design changes are now required before work begins on the site again at the end of March.
And a spokeswoman for the developers, Walter King and Rhatigans, promised last night that there would be no job losses while architects work on the design changes for the site.
“Negotiation with key perspective tenants are closing pending some design change requests – it is for this reason that the project has been paused temporarily. The design changes are currently being drafted by the architects for Crown Square,” she said.
The spokeswoman added that planning changes may also be required and said that the majority of workers at the site are to be moved to two separate sites in Athlone, with most working on the PPD site, where 250 new jobs were announced last week.
She added, “In the interim people will be redeployed to other developments - with the majority going between two significant developments in Athlone. One of those sites is being developed for a US pharmaceutical research company (PPD ) and Brian Cowen formally announced this project yesterday. And work on the Crown Square development is scheduled to recommence at the end of March 2009”.
Local Councillor Terry O’Flaherty told Galway First that she hopes work at the site begins again soon. “It’s good the workers have been deployed elsewhere and I hope development at the Crown site will continue and hopefully for the workers and the city it will open again in March.”
Galway City Council originally gave the green light for the €450 million Control development - the single biggest retail, office and residential developments in the city to date - in November 2006.
The 12.65-acre site spanning 57,000 square metres was to include 134 apartments, eight ‘bulky retail’ units, a motor showroom, a mini warehouse with garden centre (measuring almost 9,000sqm ), and a mini supermarket
The complex will include a public piazza – bigger than the former Eyre Square, 9,400sqm of open plan office space, a 20-bedroom hotel with restaurant and bar, a leisure centre, crèche and parking for 1,340 cars and more than 400 bicycles.
