St Teresa’s Gardens residents move to new homes

The last residents of St Teresa’s Gardens, one of Dublin’s largest council-flat complexes, are to move to their new homes in the coming weeks, 10 years after the regeneration of the estate was proposed.

The complex of 346 flats, next to the Coombe maternity hospital in the south of the city, was to be razed and rebuilt as part of a public private partnership (PPP) project, but the plans were scrapped six years ago, following the collapse of the property market.

Dublin City Council said all remaining residents would be rehoused on site by Christmas, less than one year since the demolition of the 1950s flats began. This turnaround has been achieved through a new approach to regeneration which, unlike the previous policy of complete demolition and rebuilding, is using a mix of new construction and "deep retrofitting" of some existing flats.

"They've been taken back to the bare bones. We've cut through walls that were a foot thick. Everything was stripped out and everything is new – new insulation, new plumbing and electrics, central heating, kitchens, bathrooms, floors, doors. And they're much bigger," said Tony Flynn, executive manager of the council's housing department.

The old flats have been knocked together and reconfigured so that two-bedroom flats have been combined to make three-bedroom homes.

Clear backlands

All newly reconditioned flats meet the new apartment-size requirements in the Dublin City Development Plan, and many exceed them. Two-bedroom homes are typically above 80sq m (861sq ft) and the three-bed flats greater than 100sq m (1,076sq ft).

In all 56 redeveloped and amalgamated flats will be completed by Christmas at a cost of €50,000-€80,000 a unit.

Next year, work will begin on building 34 houses and 16 apartments on the site of the demolished flats. Three flat blocks and 10 houses have been demolished, and two more blocks will be demolished before Christmas.

“We need to move quickly now to clear the backlands, because nobody is living there now, and then next year the main works contract begins,” Mr Flynn said.

“We’re hoping construction will take 24 months and we envisage it being finished 2½ years from now.”

Once the new houses and apartments are built the residents in the reconditioned flats will be given the option of staying or moving to the new units.

“Some people may want to stay here. This is an intermediate solution, but they can be used for as long as they are required. These units could be here for 20 years, if they are needed,” Mr Flynn said.

“The only thing that’s missing from these units are lifts. If it turned out people wanted to stay, we could look at installing them.”

Electronic gates

The full project, which will include the development of a one-acre park and separate playground, as well as “precinct improvements” such as the installation of electronic gates and doors, is expected to cost about €20 million.

St Teresa’s Gardens is bordered by two other large sites: the former Player Wills and Bailey Gibson factory lands. It is hoped these will be developed in the coming years.

“We want to see a whole new vibrant community developing, including the existing community. A lot of people want to live in Dublin 8.”