Another block of apartments in the west end of Temple Bar, Dublin 2, is to be sold off the plans with priority again being given to owner-occupiers. The 59 apartments in the Music Hall development will be priced from £158,000 for one-bedroom units up to £400,000 for large three-bedroom penthouses.
To avoid a repetition of the queueing which marked the two previous launches in the "Old City" area, selling agents Hooke & MacDonald will be giving out numbers to prospective purchasers who call to their office at 52 Merrion Square from 9 a.m. this morning. Those booking a number will be asked to return on Tuesday next, when deposits will be taken. The developers, Temple Bar Properties, say that the first 25 apartments will be set aside for owner-occupiers and, after that, bookings will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. The two previous launches were sold within hours.
Prices for one-bedroom apartments with 430 sq ft start at £158,000 on the first floor, rising to £178,000 for units of 516 sq ft on the fourth floor. Two-bedroom homes with 592 sq ft begin at £240,000 and range up to £270,000 for a unit of 645 sq ft on the sixth floor. There will also be 14 three-bedroom duplex apartments costing from £280,000 for 860 sq ft to £400,000 for two spectacular penthouses on the fifth floor, which will have two private roof terraces.
Bookings will be taken for 24 one-bedroom apartments and 21 two-bedroom units. All of them will be ready for occupation next February.
A further eight apartments in Music Hall are being retained by Temple Bar Properties for lease to the Tish School, the New York performing arts school which is to begin an Irish programme from next January.
Each apartment will be entered through its own separate entrance door from a gallery. There will be two shared roof gardens for the use of all the residents as well as the private roof terraces with both penthouses.
Designed by architects Burke Kennedy Doyle, the building is located just off Lord Edward Street at the junction of Copper Alley and Cow's Lane, a new street being opened in the west end.
All the apartments will be served by lifts and will be finished to a high standard, including a glass block wall on to the gallery, hardwood entrance doors and oak Shakerstyle kitchens with stainless steel extractor hoods. The duplex units can be entered from the common areas on either level.
Another advantage is that all the apartments will be connected to the Old City District Heating System which will use excess heat and hot water from the nearby Civic Offices.
All the apartments will qualify for the Temple Bar tax incentives, a valuable tax shelter for both owner-occupier and investors. Owner-occupiers will be able to avail of a five per cent allowance each year for 10 years against all personal income including salary. For example, a £200,000 apartment would allow an owner-occupier to claim about £7,500 of extra tax free allowances each year for 10 years. Investors will also be able to claim Section 23 allowances against rental income.
The last two remaining apartment schemes in the west end of Temple Bar - the Wooden Building with 17 homes and Scarlet Row with 38 units - are due to be offered for sale in February and March next. When redeveloped, this area will have 191 apartments with a population of around 500.
