Milestone reached on large scale student accommodation project in Cork city

One of the largest student accommodation projects in the country, at the old Coca Cola bottling site on the Carrigrohane Road, has officially been “topped out” with its concrete roof, and is nearing completion.

Named ‘Bottleworks’, the 10-storey development is expected to open next year. When complete it will have a gross floor area of approximately 19,267 sq m, 623 bedrooms and include an onsite gym, common networking spaces, cycle storage, studio space and a sky lounge with views of the River Lee.

Building and civil engineering contractors Farran Construction carried out the significant student accommodation project on behalf of client CA Ventures, a Chicago based global investment management company.

Contract Manager for Farrans Construction, Felim Blaney, said the topping out of the project with its poured concrete roof is an “exciting milestone”.

“Carrigrohane Road is one of the largest student accommodations in Ireland and we are proud to be delivering it to a high standard for our client CA Ventures. This is a high-end luxury building which will provide a substantial boost to the student accommodation available in this popular city,” he said.

The Bottleworks accommodation complex will be managed by Novel Student, CA Ventures’ property management platform for its portfolio of Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA).

Carlo Matta, President and Head of Europe for CA Ventures added that as “one of the largest PBSA schemes in Ireland and the largest PBSA scheme under the Novel Student brand”, Bottleworks “answers to the mounting demand for student accommodation in Cork and Ireland’s broader student accommodation crisis”.

“We look forward to improving the quality of life of students in Ireland through the delivery of two additional PBSA schemes in Belfast and Dublin,” he said.

Student rooms in Bottleworks will include en-suite toilets and showers, premium furnishings, kitchenettes with burners, appliances, a fridge and countertop and cabinet space.

The new “Novel Student community” will also include a range of shared amenities, such as study and meeting rooms, tea lounges, relaxation rooms and breakfast bars with complimentary coffee.

Apartment sizes in the complex vary from two to eight beds, with the option of “standard” or “premium” versions. The complex will also offer self-contained studios, varying from “standard”, to “premium” and “luxe”.

While prices are not currently advertised for the Cork complex, rents for a similar Novel Student development in Belfast start at £193 (around €225) per week.