OFFICIAL planning documents for a 200-apartment tower block at Albert Quay have been lodged with An Bord Pleanála.

The 25-storey tower is to be built on the site of the former Sextant Bar.

Progressive Commercial Construction Ltd, part of the John Cleary Developments group, has requested a consultation from the planning board under the Strategic Housing Development scheme which allows developers to bypass local authorities for large-scale housing projects exceeding 100 homes. The proposed development of 200 build-to-rent apartments will include demolition of the Sextant and the reuse and renovation of two protected structures.

The case is set to be decided by September 26.

John Cleary said of the plans when they were launched in June that it has been a dozen years since a large-scale apartment project was undertaken in the city centre.

“We are very excited to be progressing this proposed residential scheme given the constant feedback we are receiving from our multinational clients in relation to their concerns at the lack of suitable residential accommodation available for their employees,” he said.

“It’s been almost 12 years since the last new city centre apartment scheme of scale was completed in Cork and, given the ongoing momentum we are witnessing in the office sector, should the residential schemes not be brought forward, the ongoing development of the city centre will be compromised.”

Green Party Councillor Oliver Moran recently raised some concern about the protected structures on the site at a meeting at City Hall but was told that the planning permission will be subject to procedures that only allow for a structure with distinctive character to be demolished if replaced by a building that enhances the structure more than the retention of the original building.

The site is just metres from where O’Callaghan Properties has reached a conditional agreement to purchase a 31-acre site for €47.5m, with local councillors already speculating that apartment buildings, a cultural centre and a hospital could be built on the grounds.

It is also within the scope of the Cork docklands to City Centre Road Network Scheme which will seek to improve traffic flows between the city centre, docklands and the N27.