Plans to repurpose office block into apartments in Cork city centre approved

PLANS for more than a dozen apartments at an underutilised building on South Mall have been approved by Cork City Council.

Last August, Swiss Property Management Limited lodged a planning application seeking permission for the development of 17 apartments at the prominent Carbery House at 67-69 South Mall.

The plans proposed some changes to the seven-storey premises to develop the units — a mix of two-bed, one-bed and studio apartments — on floors one to six.

The application also proposed the refurbishment of a commercial unit at ground floor level and the change of use from existing office space to cafe with a new access proposed from Cook Street.

It further proposed the refurbishment of the building’s façade and its material finishes.

A document submitted with the application in August said the existing use for the building is office space but only two units are occupied, the ground floor corner unit and the top floor.

Other units have been vacant for the past several years.

The document asserted that the proposed design is in accordance with the Cork City Development Plan 2022- 2028 which “looks favourably to redevelopments of city centre locations that are underused and is particularly approving of revitalisation projects that involve housing”.

“This project seeks to develop attractive commercial units on both South Mall and Cook Street at ground level that will further help revitalise the city centre.

“This adaptive re-use project proposes to keep the form of building largely intact and respects South Mall’s streetscape while improving and updating the façade,” it added.

Cork City Council sought some further information before making a decision on the application which resulted in some changes, including the provision of 20 bicycle parking spaces.

There are 28 routine conditions attached to the council’s grant of planning permission.