Redevelopment plans for Kilmainham Mill are delayed

REDEVELOPMENT plans for Kilmainham Mill have been delayed, after the contractor withdrew from the project, reports Maurice Garvey.

Dublin City Council bought Kilmainham Mill in December 2018, to commence conservation works, amid plans to open the site to the public as a cultural hub.

The purchase of the site followed a long campaign by local residents who feel the mill, could become an important tourist attraction

Speaking at the South Central area committee meeting on September 15, Bruce Philips, Assistant Area Manager, Dublin City Council, said the “unfortunate” situation is occurring a lot on public sector contract work, with rising costs and Covid impacting projects.

“The contractor selected at the start of Covid has withdrawn from the process, unable to complete the work,” said Mr Philips. “It looks like we are going to have to re-tender.

“There will be enabling works, which will mean another procurement process, another evaluation process and work starting there at the very end of the year or early next year.

“It is unfortunate but this situation is occurring a lot on public sector contract work, where we are tied by quite a rigid procurement process and we can’t take account of inflated increases of prices, which contractors are looking for due to shortages of labour and materials.”

He said it could be about four or five months before the city council get another contactor on site.

Kilmainham Mill overlooks the River Camac.

It consists of early nineteenth to mid twentieth century buildings and is a protected structure.

A flour mill throughout the early nineteenth century, prior to a conversion for textile production, it ceased all industrial use as a mill in 2000 and has remained unoccupied since.