Cork City Council loses €361k after restoring building and selling it to UCC for €600k

Cork City Council lost €361,000 when it saved a historic city centre building from dereliction and then sold it to UCC for less than it had spent on the restoration — and a decade on, the building remains idle.

The historic Boole House on Grenville Place, once the lodgings of the famous mathematician George Boole, was removed from the derelict sites register in 2017 following the completion of stabilisation works by the council.

UCC had outlined plans for the building, saying it would accommodate a range of teaching, research, and innovation initiatives, as well as a visitors’ centre to celebrate George Boole.

But the project has stalled since then, despite UCC previously telling The Echo that the university was actively exploring funding options for the project and “expects to proceed with detailed design and tendering of the remaining works in 2022”.

At Monday night’s city council meeting, a breakdown of the costs incurred related to the building were provided to Social Democrats councillor Niamh O’Connor by Niall Ó Donnabháin, the council’s director of planning and integrated development.

The figures show that the council paid €13,000 to acquire the then-derelict building a decade ago, and more than €58,000 on professional fees such as architects, engineers, and quantity surveyors.

Construction costs

In total, construction costs came to just over €868,600. Works included site clearance, fencing, vermin-proofing, hoarding and signage, and timber decay investigations.

The property was subsequently disposed of, by way of a deed of transfer, to UCC in May 2017, for the sum of €600,000, so that they could complete works and occupy the building, a decision Ó Donnabháin said was made “considering the historical and cultural significance in the context of the association of George Boole with the institution”. As spend came to €961,000, the cost to the council after the sale was €361,000.

Ms O’Connor said: “The figures show that the city made a substantial investment in this property and, unfortunately, at the moment there is very little to show for that investment. I acknowledge that the building is now in much better condition than it was in 2009 and 2010 when it partially collapsed, but it remains vacant and unfinished.”

Significant sums

She said that she fully supports the council investing significant sums to take properties out of dereliction.

“However, if we are making those investments, we need to see projects through so that something tangible is ultimately delivered for the people of Cork — whether that is housing, community facilities, or a cultural amenity.

“In this instance, UCC has had planning permission for a number of years, but the works have not been completed. If the council is depending on outside bodies to deliver projects after transfer, then there should be contractual provisions requiring those works to be completed within an agreed timeframe.”

She added that Boole House was a hugely important cultural building, which could attract visitors to the city and increase footfall in the area if restored and brought into use.

“Instead, 10 years after the transfer, the building continues to lie idle. We have done the difficult part by saving the structure from collapse, but the job is only half finished if the building remains empty.”

UCC said that “all options for George Boole House are being considered”.