O’Devaney Gardens redevelopment to start this month

The construction of more than 1,000 apartments on the site of the former O’Devaney Gardens flat complex close to the Phoenix Park in Dublin, is finally to begin this month more than three years after the project was approved by city councillors.

In an 11th hour reprieve for the troubled scheme, developers Bartra and Dublin City Council announced on Friday afternoon that building would begin “in February” on the first phase of 1,044 homes, almost all of which will be apartments, with 43 houses and duplexes.

The announcement came ahead of a city council meeting on Monday to determine the future of the project. The council’s head of housing Coilín O’Reilly last month said the deal with Bartra would have to be reconsidered if work had not started by the February council meeting, which will be held on Monday.

Speaking at the January council meeting Mr O’Reilly said: “The plan as it sits is Barta will be on site before the next council meeting and if it’s not I think we probably do need to revisit where we’re going with the whole O’Devaney project.”

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[ Two decades late: O’Devaney Gardens’ tortured route to breaking ground ]

[ Council seeks O’Devaney Gardens apartments for cost-rental scheme ]

While work had not started by Friday, it is understood an agreement has been reached between the developers and the council on outstanding costs issues, to allow work to begin.

Councillors in November 2019 voted in favour of a contentious deal with Bartra for the redevelopment of the vast 14-acre vacant site off the North Circular Road. Under the deal, 30 per cent of the homes were to be reserved for social housing and 20 per cent for affordable purchase; the remaining 50 per cent were available to Bartra to sell privately.

However, to secure agreement of councillors Bartra offered to sell 30 per cent of these private apartments to the council or a nominated housing body for a cost-rental scheme.

In September 2021 Bartra secured permission from An Bord Pleanala for the for the construction scheme in nine blocks up to 14 storeys tall.

Councillors subsequently attempted to rescind the deal with Bartra, after An Bord Pleanála in March 2022 changed an earlier ruling which could have blocked the company from selling apartments to institutional investors.

However, the council’s law agent Yvonne Kelly said the council was “contractually bound to a legally binding agreement” with Bartra and it was “not possible to get out of that agreement”.

Councillors were in June 2022 told construction would begin on the site by September. However, when work had not started by the beginning of this year Mr O’Reilly told councillors the project was facing reconsideration.

In statement on Friday Mr O’Reilly said the delivery of housing had become “an issue of national importance and getting projects to site and maintaining momentum is key to managing the ongoing housing situation”.

Bartra said phase one of the development would deliver 379 social, affordable, and private homes, a park, crèche, and retail units, in the northern area of the site, adjacent to Thor Place and Ashford Street.