421 apartments in ‘a striking 13-storey landmark building’ approved

PLANS for the development of 421 apartments in “a striking 13-storey landmark building” adjacent to the Fortunestown Luas stop in Citywest have been given the green light by An Bord Pleanála.

Located at Cooldown Commons and Fortunestown, the site lies adjacent to the Luas stop and across the road from Citywest Shopping Centre.

The plans were lodged by developer Cairn Homes last July, outlining plans for the replacement of 32 permitted duplex apartments with the construction of 421 apartments and associated site works.

The permitted scheme comprises 421 units, offices, and three retail spaces, all housed within nine blocks, ranging in height from one to 13 storeys.

The residential component includes 126 one-bed apartments, 267 two-bed apartments and 28 three-bed apartments.

The application also provides for two residential amenity areas, with the proposed development also providing public and communal open spaces throughout, including a public plaza adjoining the Fortunestown Luas stop.

An artist impression of 13-storey building at Cooldown Commons

Parking provision for the Strategic Housing Development (SHD) is to be provided by 287 car and 650 bicycle parking spaces.

The plans in the fast-track planning application were granted permission by An Bord Pleanála last week, with a number of conditions.

These conditions include the permitted parking spaces “being reserved solely to serve the proposed development”, while communal open spaces “shall be maintained by a legally constituted management company”.

Aidan McLernon, the head of planning at Cairn Homes, put up a post on LinkedIn last week welcoming the news, where he noted that the scheme includes “a striking 13 storey landmark building designed by Reddy Architecture + Urbanism, which forms the centrepiece of this development”.

He added that the company is looking forward to helping their construction team to “bring another planning scheme to life!”

Citywest and surrounding areas are already a hub of construction activity for Cairn Homes – one of the largest housebuilders in the country – as they’ve previously secured planning permission for a number of developments in the locality.

The permitted developments include the construction of 40 dwellings in Adamstown, Lucan, the development of 417 apartments at Cooldown Commons in Citywest, and a new public park in Adamstown called Tobermaclugg Park.

However, the scale of housing developments in the area hasn’t gone unnoticed by residents, with members of the Citywest Residents’ Action Group previously telling The Echo that they were concerned about a lack of community infrastructure and traffic issues in the area affecting existing residents.