Demolition of Hawkins House to open way for area’s redevelopment

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Dublin’s most notorious office block – Hawkins House behind Burgh Quay – is to be demolished and replaced by a high density office complex to be owned jointly by the State and a private developer, Shelbourne Developments. The choice of Garret Kelleher’s Shelbourne Developments was taken because it already owns two adjoining properties – the Apollo House office block and car-park, and the site of a derelict petrol filling station on Tara Street. Under the terms of a deal due to be concluded shortly between the OPW and Shelbourne, Kelleher’s company is to redevelop the enlarged 1.75-acre site and share the rental income with the State when the replacement buildings are eventually let. The same revenue sharing formula is to be used by the OPW when it leases a number of other buildings and sites to development companies in Dublin’s O’Connell Street and at Lower Hatch Street, Dublin 2. A former Garda office and an adjoining building at 44/45 O’Connell Street are being leased to Joe O’Reilly’s company Chartered Land to allow it build a new public square along with shopping, leisure and residential facilities linking Upper O’Connell Street with Moore Street.

The Irish Times