GAA given green light for hotel

Dublin City Council has granted planning permission to the GAA for a four-star hotel directly across from the Hogan Stand entrance to Croke Park.

The planning permission is dependent on 13 conditions, among them a development contribution of almost €850,000 payable to the city council.

The area - known as Collier's Kitchen, a small industrial estate off the Jones's Road - is currently in a state of disrepair.

The site is 3.2 acres and the 225-bedroom hotel, which will vary in height between three and five storeys, is projected to take up two-thirds of the area.

In granting the application yesterday, Dublin City Council also removed a covered footbridge which would cross between the hotel and Croke Park. It was not included in the permission which recommends that it be the subject of a separate planning permission.

Access to underground service zones have been altered by the planners, while a further condition restricts the time during which construction work can be carried out. This is between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and from 8 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

While the development at its lowest point is about 70 metres from neighbouring houses, it is thought likely that an appeal would be lodged to Bord Pleanála. The GAA may also want to appeal some conditions - particularly the level of financial contribution to the city council. However, a spokeswoman for the company set up to administer Croke Park was unable to provide any information on the proposed development yesterday.

The GAA has, however, already said it is intent on keeping its financial investment to a minimum. Initial plans centred on securing investors and leasing the hotel to a branded operator for seven years, at which point the GAA would have the option of buying it back or renewing the lease.

At the launch of the plans last May, stadium director Mr Peter McKenna said there would be a significant long-term financial gain to the GAA.

"We had looked at a number of options in evaluating what was the best potential to put on the site," said Mr McKenna. "Everything from housing to a multi-storey car-park. But we very much settled on a hotel as being the best option," he said.

The GAA feels the hotel fits well into the footprint of the area but will be disappointed with the removal of the footbridge. This was seen as being a boost to ambitions to use the hotel and stadium as a conference centre.

The site is close to both the city centre and the airport. Tax incentives for building hotels expired at the end of May, but planning applications submitted before that date will still qualify. The total cost has been estimated at around €28 million.

The GAA acquired the site over the past number of years in different tranches with a combined cost of around € 7 million.