Apartments on Adelaide site to ease demand in the city

The scarcity of new apartments in Dublin's inner city will be eased slightly this week when bookings are taken for the first phase of a new development at the former Adelaide Hospital, at Peter Street.

Prices start mainly at £159,000 for one-bedroom apartments and from £174,500 for two-bedroom units, according to selling agent Hooke & MacDonald.

Although only 38 apartments are being released for sale at this stage, the Adelaide Square scheme will eventually have 175 apartments and penthouses in a courtyard setting behind the landmark Whitefriar Street Carmelite church. The original hospital building is to be upgraded and converted into 28,000 sq ft of high-quality offices, pushing the overall end value of the mixed development to more than £50 million.

Developer Benton Property Holdings is taking the very welcome step of offering fully-fitted kitchens with integrated Neff electrical appliances - stainless steel oven and hob, cooker hood fridge/freezer, microwave, and dishwasher. Benton has built two full-size show apartments on site which will reflect the style and layout of the one and two-bedroom units when they are completed. This will allow purchasers to see the standard of finish they can expect in the new homes. The fit-out generally is quite impressive, particularly in the kitchens and in the bathrooms.

The two-bedroom units with an average of 800 sq ft have an en suite bathroom with the main bedroom, complete with power shower and a full bathroom. Both bedrooms are doubles and the livingroom is particularly spacious.

The one-bedroom apartments are also quite spacious with around 500 sq ft, including a fine livingroom with two picture windows. The bathroom has a power shower rather than a bath. The location of Adelaide Square within a few minutes walk of St Stephen's Green is likely to prove a strong selling point. The scheme will have a 24-hour porter service in the main reception area. Carparking will cost an extra £25,000. Residents will have the use of an on-site exercise room with the latest machines and equipment. The development will also include a creche, to be run as an independent operation. There will also be a laundry facility, which will operate on a commercial basis for the exclusive use of residents. Benton Property Holdings paid £6.2 million for the former hospital, which stands on a site of 1.5 acres behind Whitefriar Street church. The apartments will be located in three separate blocks, two of them with five-storeys and the other standing six storeys.