Councillors vote to sell derelict Cornmarket Street property
Alex O’Sullivan
This week it was agreed that a derelict premises on Cornmarket Street is to be sold to a private developer, following a vote by city councillors.
43, 44 and 45 Cornmarket Street, which are on the derelict sites register, are to be sold to Fogo Investments Ltd for €372,000 following Monday night’s Cork City Council meeting.
City council Chief Executive Ann Doherty in a report to councillors stated that the figure represents the best reasonably obtained on the open market using an independent evaluation process.
The properties consists of a three-storey premises with a vacant site to the side and rear.
Councillors voted for the disposal by a margin of 22-4.
Some councillors had hoped that the properties would be utilised by the council for the use of social housing.
Speaking to the Cork Independent, Councillor Mick Finn (Independent), who was in favour of the sale, said: “I understand why some people would have preferred the council to retain the site to build social housing, but the council doesn’t have resources to build themselves at the moment.
“That site has being lying dormant for a long time, surrounded by well kept businesses and cafes, but hopefully now it can become a living breathing part of Cornmarket Street and hopefully reflecting the residential nature of the area.”
Counsellor Finn added: “People would rather that the ownership of the site was with the council, and that would have been fine in the days where the council were building their own houses, which hasn’t happened for a long time. I think this is the best way to clean up a derelict site and provide housing and I think everybody wins.
“My hope and expectation are that the site ultimately will be used for social housing down the line.”
Counsellor Lorna Brogue (Independent), who voted against the sale of the site said: “I’m getting a bit tired of this mediocre lack of ambition from the government to do anything except give away to the private sector.
“Thinking about what the private sector might put there in comparison to what a public sector build could look like in that space, I will come out of that feeling as though an opportunity has been lost.
“Councillor Fiona Ryan (Solidarity Party - People Before Profit) had previously been asking about possible city centre sites for social housing and was told that the council did not have any land in the city centre, yet here we are at a council meeting agreeing to sell it off.”
Councillor Brogue added: “If there was just a little bit of thinking about what we actually need, we would be able to bring a bit of life back to the city centre and build something that could be of use to everyone.”