'New beginning' for Cork's North Main Street with removal of building facade protection

BUSINESS owners on North Main Street have welcomed the removal of steel girders which had been put in place over a year ago after a building's partial collapse.

Three buildings, from 62-64 North Main St, had been sealed off behind hoarding following the partial collapse of one of them in June of 2019.

While an engineering report recommended demolition, City Hall expressed concerns about saving the facades of the structures.

Number 63 had been propped up by large support beams in the months that followed. Hoarding had also been erected on the footpath outside the three buildings. However, criticism had been expressed after parts of the hoarding collapsed and litter built up inside.

Evidence of hoarding and support beams which were still in place more than a year after their introduction had left locals speculating about whether the issue was being addressed.

Among them was Michael Creedon of Bradley's Off-License who spoke out in February of this year about the hoarding and support beams. The organisation expressed their delight about the new developments via Twitter saying:

"Great morning to see a vista we haven't seen for years on North Main Street Cork. Not a steel girder in sight."

After the partial collapse of no. 63 back in June of 2019, the street was closed off to motorists as a temporary measure. Steel girders were also erected to prevent any further damage.

Chairman of the Middle Parish Community Association, George Patterson, who is a local of North Main Street described it as a new beginning for the area.

"It will hopefully see the street picking up again," he said. "

This needs to happen as it's looking derelict at the moment and has affected the whole street. There were no Christmas lights last year. The mood was in the doldrums. North Main Street was a non-starter. However, lockdown brought a lot of attention to the area. Take-away services serving the community kept it alive during this difficult time."