Dublin: In an effort to alleviate Ireland’s housing crisis, plans are underway to convert hundreds of vacant office buildings across the country into residential homes.
Formation of an Inter-Departmental Group
An inter-departmental group will be established to conduct a survey and develop measures for redeveloping vacant commercial sites for residential use. This initiative was prompted by Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien and is being implemented by the Enterprise Department.
Concerns Over Vacant Office Spaces
Earlier this year, the Central Bank highlighted the issue of increasing vacant office space amid a surplus of new buildings. In Dublin alone, 10.9 percent of office buildings are vacant. The government’s plan to repurpose these office blocks into housing is seen as a crucial step towards addressing the housing shortage.
Assistant Professor Orla Hegarty of UCD’s School of Architecture, Planning, and Environmental Policy supports this initiative, noting that such measures are practical and should be seriously considered.
One notable example of this initiative is the redevelopment of the 14-story Sentinel Tower in Sandyford, which has remained unfinished for years. A planning application has been submitted to Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to transform this building into an apartment complex.
Upon completion, the Sentinel Tower will feature 110 apartments, including 22 single-bed units, more than half as two-bed units, and 28 three-bed units.
Experts believe that redeveloping vacant office spaces into residential homes could significantly contribute to solving the housing crisis. This approach, if implemented widely, could lead to the conversion of numerous shopping centres and office buildings across the country, providing much-needed housing and making efficient use of existing structures.
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