‘We’re sick and tired of waiting’: Former Lord Mayor of Cork urges Government to answer ‘simple question’ on events centre funding

“We’re sick and tired of waiting,” a former lord mayor of Cork has said, as he urged the Government to answer a “simple question” regarding funding to build the Cork Events Centre.

Mick Finn, whose name will be on the Cork South Central ballot paper for the next general election, has said the long-awaited project must progress if the Government is “serious about investing in Cork as a counterbalance to Dublin”.

He made the comments as a decision on the ask for extra State funding for the development of the proposed facility has yet to be announced.

“It’s a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ at this stage, and we’re sick and tired of waiting,” said Mr Finn.

It was revealed at a Cork City Council meeting in December that additional funding would be required for the project, due to inflation, and following the completion of a detailed design.

Initially, the consortium that won the tender for the centre, Bam and Live Nation, was expected to benefit from €20m in State funding, which was later increased to €50m, and then to €57m. The events centre, set to be built on the site of the former Beamish & Crawford brewery on South Main St, has been a long-term objective for the city.

Mr Finn said he believes that if the Government is “serious about investing in Cork as a counterbalance to Dublin, this is one of the projects that must happen”. He said he also feared that the “perennial delays since the site at Beamish & Crawford was first selected could lead to the developers asking for even more funding as building costs soar, or walk away from the project altogether”.

A Bam spokesperson said the firm’s commitment to deliver a “world-class, versatile venue to Cork remains absolute”. “Bam will construct this landmark performance venue and, in partnership with Cork City Council and Live Nation Gaiety, this project will revolutionise Cork’s cultural scene and deliver a huge boost to the city’s businesses,” said the spokesperson.

A Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage spokesperson said the proposed centre is a “flagship project under the National Development Plan” and included as a commitment under Project Ireland 2040. “Following completion of the detailed design of the events centre in the autumn of 2023, Cork City Council undertook a full verification process and detailed cost analysis on the final detailed design costings.

“This process is now complete and Cork City Council have submitted a final business case along with supporting documentation to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage,” the spokesperson added.