Plans have been lodged with Dublin City Council for the demolition of the well known Kiely's pub in Donnybrook in Dublin 4 to make way for a seven-storey, 100-bed space shared accommodation living scheme.
The application follows Shane Whelan’s Westridge Real Estate acquiring the property for €5 million plus last year.
The 100 bedrooms planned would range from 18.2 sq m to 27 sq m, with all rooms to have a twin bed, a bathroom and a closet and most rooms to have a kitchenette.
Architects for the scheme Henry J Lyons have told the council that "the project will sit in the heart of Donnybrook, where it will become a statement building on a very prominent corner".
The scheme is to have communal kitchens on each floor and shared facilities would include a large lounge, a wet bar and a co-working space.
The detailed plans show that the shared accommodation proposal would breach the 16m maximum in building height permitted by the City Development Plan for the area. However, An Bord Pleanála has shown that it is willing to contravene the development plan concerning heights by giving planning permission for a 12-storey apartment block for Donnybrook.
Covid-19
The Westridge proposal includes a cafe/restaurant at ground level. The proposed operator of the shared living development, Common, has also proposed a raft of measures to deal with Covid-19. Common already operates 47 shared developments accommodating 2,000 people in 22 cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York city, Seattle and San Francisco.
Planning consultants, John Spain and Associates state that the site is eminently suitable for shared accommodation as it is located within the centre of Donnybrook village. A decision is due on the application in November.
