'Number' of submissions for long-awaited Cork event centre to be evaluated

Cork City Council has received “a number” of submissions from parties interested in developing the long-awaited event centre, and said it is hoping to make significant progress this year.

Councillors were told yesterday that the return date for suitability assessment (SAQ) questionnaire submissions from interested parties expired last Tuesday.

“Shortlisting will follow evaluation of the SAQ submissions, in accordance with public procurement requirements,” said a council spokesperson. “The process will lead to the issuing later this year of tender documents, followed by a process to select a preferred bidder.”

It is as yet unclear how many official submissions have been made, or who has made them.

Expressions of interest

In September 2025, the Project Development Board, chaired by the city council’s assistant chief executive, Brian Geaney, issued a call for expressions of interest.

In April, following Cabinet approval, the council launched the suitability assessment questionnaire (SAQ).

The council spokesperson said: “The council has received a number of SAQ submissions. As this is a live competition, I am unable to provide any further information on the exact number received or the identity of bidders.”

The sod for the centre was turned at the former Beamish and Crawford site by then taoiseach Enda Kenny in February 2016, but the project has stalled since, and spiralling costs led to a government decision to retender in October 2024.

The retendering means the site is still undecided, though Dutch firm BAM are understood to be once again proposing its South Main St location, chosen in the initial tender process in 2010.

Other locations, such the Marina area of the docklands and a site adjacent to Páirc Uí Chaoimh, have also been proposed. 

Mr Geaney told The Echo: “An evaluation panel has been established, separate from the board, to consider the submissions against award criteria.

Competitive dialogue 

“What will happen next is, as those submissions are evaluated, so many will be called to enter into a competitive dialogue process.”

In terms of a timeline, he said: “The last thing the Cork Event Centre needs, given the history of the project, is false timelines. We hope to make a lot of progress in this current year. This year, we saw a substantial milestone, with the approval, and we are now evaluating submissions, and will enter into that competitive dialogue in the second half of this year.”

Labour councillor Peter Horgan said: “The tender process that was mandated by central Government is progressing, and I commend the assistant chief executive for navigating this project that we all want to see succeed.”