The State is investing €57m into the project, while BAM and events management company Live Nation are contributing another €35m.

We need to talk about the long-awaited Cork Events Centre, so says John Dolan

"We are currently working on completing our designs and costings for the event centre in conjunction with Live Nation, all going well we would hope to commence construction in the second quarter of 2023,” BAM stated.

“We really want to see the Events Centre project proceed and we will do everything we possibly can to ensure that happens while recognising we are dependent here on private sector partners in the form of Live Nation and BAM," Michael McGrath said.

It comes following the announcement of €15m in Budget 2023 for the project.

One line from the budget states that “€15 million is being provided to support for Cork City Council’s advancement of the Cork Events Centre project.” 

The city council says the overall construction programme is expected to be about 18 months duration.

This week it was announced that construction on the 6,000 seater venue is set to begin later this year and it is understood the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy told The Echo he would be calling on Cork City Council to address subsidence along the quay wall on French’s Quay, damage which he predicted could only worsen whenever construction begins on the planned event centre.

The news was confirmed yesterday, along with the announcement of an additional €7m in State funding for the 6,000-seat event centre.

In a statement this afternoon, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he welcomed the progress the project, with funding arrangements now completed by Cork City Council and construction set to start this year.

Councillors have this evening been advised of the “next step” in the project from Cork City Council’s perspective.

“Internally a lot of issues have been resolved and there’s huge confidence that construction will actually start." 

THE detailed design for the Cork events centre has been completed, Cork City Council has said in response to a progress update request from a city councillor.

Concerns have been raised about the Cork Event Centre’s absence from the Project Ireland 2040 update that was published yesterday.

TALKS between the three key parties involved in the long-awaited Cork Events Centre are continuing despite the challenges Covid-19 has posed to the global live entertainment industry.

A CITY Hall official has said that “significant progress” has been made regarding the Cork Events Centre.

“THE minute the High Court case was stood down, we were back re-engaging,” City Hall chief executive Ann Doherty said of the long-delayed Events Centre project.

Concern has been expressed that the promoters involved in the Cork Events Centre project may not proceed with their involvement in the development.

The final obstacle in the way of Cork’s Events Centre has been overcome, as a High Court legal challenge on the project has been withdrawn.

More than four years after the sod was turned on the event centre in Cork, it has finally been given the go-ahead from An Bord Pleanála.

AN Bord Pleanála has given the green light for the events centre in the heart of Cork city to move ahead.

A LEGAL row has erupted over the awarding of the contract to build the long-promised multi-million Cork event centre.

Micheál Martin has said that should he become the next Taoiseach he is “very committed” to the event centre project, but has raised concerns about where the €50m Government funding is coming from.

The Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said he is “confident” that Cork City Council will be able to defend the legal process concerning Cork’s proposed events centre, and that the project will go ahead.

NEWS that the Killarney Gleneagle Hotel has launched a legal challenge against Cork’s long-planned event centre has been described as “extremely disappointing” by local councillors.

A legal challenge in the High Court could cause further delays to Cork City’s long-awaited event centre.

AN INDEPENDENT general election candidate is calling for €50 million state funding to be withdrawn from the Cork events centre project.

Cork Chamber has called for those elected to the next Government to ensure the Event Centre is built. They also want to see the delivery of the M20 and Northern Ring Road, as well as the M28, N22 and Dunkettle Interchange.

With just over three weeks before Cork voters go to the polls, we look at the seven election issues that will decide the winners and losers in General Election 2020HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESSHOUSING and homelessness make up two of the “three h’s” that ...

IT'S unlikely there will be any significant movement on the events centre project within the next six to eight months.

BUSINESS leaders in Cork are waiting “with bated breath" to see boots on the ground and cranes in the skyline for the events centre project.  It comes following the announcement of a €50 million Government grant for the project.

FUNDING for the long-awaited event centre is now set to be finalised with a new €50 million Government once-off payment package deal agreed.

Some of Cork's oldest streets are set for a major upgrade along with the construction of two new bridges on the south channel of the River Lee.

A ROW has developed between event centre developer Bam and Cork City Council over who should pay costs toward a new pedestrian bridge.

THE Tánaiste has admitted that further delays to the proposed events centre are frustrating. However, Simon Coveney has said the individual objector to the project is entitled to appeal the planning decision and should not be lambasted for doing so.

AN individual objector hand-delivered an appeal against the proposed events centre in Cork just minutes before the closing time for submissions on the project last week.

The proposed events centre development in Cork could be facing delays of more than four months as two last-minute appeals have been lodged with An Bord Pleanala.

IT is hoped the way will be cleared tomorrow for construction to finally begin on the Cork event centre project.

IT is hoped the way will be cleared tomorrow for construction to finally begin on the Cork event centre project.

The new student apartments located at the old Beamish and Crawford site on South Main Street have been advertised for rent.

PLANNING permission has been granted for the events centre on the former Beamish & Crawford brewery site.

A GOVERNMENT department charged with handling the finances for the Cork event centre for the last four years lacks the expertise to deliver it, its Minister has said.

FUNDING for the long-awaited event centre is not currently being handled by the Department of Local Government, it has been confirmed.

FUNDING certainty has been achieved on the events centre but the Government will not provide a blank cheque for what will now be a “bigger and better” project, Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said.

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar is likely to make a “positive” announcement around the event centre project in the next 48 hours.

DEVELOPERS BAM have supplied further information to City Hall on the events centre that should allow a rapid planning decision on the long-running project.

THE LATEST delay in plans for the events centre has been branded a “joke” with business groups warning the city centre traders can’t wait much longer for construction to commence.

ALL parties involved in the event centre project are committed to the event centre and resolving the “remaining challenges”, according to City Hall. Developers BAM submitted redesigned plans last week which city council officials are now reviewing.

CORK’s outgoing Lord Mayor has said the developers behind the long-awaited event centre need to get on with the project or “get out of it”.