Carlton site building to become Japanese restaurant

Former council building was to be part of Joe O’Reilly’s ‘Dublin Central’ development

The former  Carlton Cinema on O'Connell Street, Dublin. Photographer: Dara Mac Dónaill
The former Carlton Cinema on O'Connell Street, Dublin. Photographer: Dara Mac Dónaill

A former county council building on Dublin's O'Connell Street which was to be part of a massive €900 million shopping centre development by Chartered Land is to be turned into a Japanese restaurant.

Signs were yesterday erected for "10 Thousand Restaurant" on the old Fingal County Council building opposite the Gresham Hotel.

The building, which was vacated by the local authority in 2006, was bought by developer Joe O'Reilly for the "Dublin Central" development.

The shopping centre, granted planning permission in 2010, was to cover 2.7 hectares encompassing the former Carlton cinema and vacant plots stretching to Moore Street, some of which have been derelict since the 1970s.

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Nama portfolio
No construction has started on the site and the lands now form part of Nama's portfolio of loans. Dublin City Council last January granted permission for the use of the former council building to be changed from offices to retail/restaurant. The application was made by All Points Building & Maintenance with the consent of Chartered Land.

The conditions of the council’s permission state that the building can be used as a restaurant for three years only.

Dublin County Council was the first tenant of the 1975 building before Dublin was split into four local authority areas in 1994.

The redevelopment of the Carlton site has been beset by planning and legal problems concerning historic 1916 Rising buildings on Moore Street.

Olivia Kelly

Olivia Kelly

Olivia Kelly is Dublin Editor of The Irish Times