The SFX Centre in Dublin's north inner city is to be demolished for an apartment complex. Edel Morgan reports.
Dublin City Council has granted permission to the owner of the complex, Denis Desmond's MCD, to knock the venue at 21-25 Sherrard Street Upper in Dublin 1 - near Mountjoy Square - and build a five-storey building, comprising 41 one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
Built in the 1950s, the 700-seat SFX venue was originally built back in 1957 and has had several re-incarnations, as a theatre, concert hall and boxing venue.
There was previously a theatre on the site built in the mid-19th century.
More recently, the building has been a theatre, studio and rehearsal space for Michael Scott's City Theatre Dublin company, which has been touring since 1999 with Sisters by Declan Hassett and This Lime Tree Bower by Conor MacPherson.
MCD owns all or part of the Ambassador, Gaiety, Olympia and HQ venues in Dublin.
Dennis Desmond recently got planning permission to build a six-storey mixed-use development at the back of the Olympia Theatre on Sycamore Street, Dublin 2, a protected structure. The scheme will comprise office space and residential units.
