by Larissa Nolan
U2’s plans to turn the Clarence into "the most spectacular hotel in Europe" are on hold, after council officials issued a deadline to the supergroup to respond to a lengthy list of questions about the project.
Dublin City Council’s planning department says the status of the planning application is currently dormant, as it awaits a response from the owners, due before the end of September.
Bono and the Edge, who own the hotel in trendy Temple Bar in Dublin, want to take over the five protected structure buildings adjoining the Clarence and to erect a spaceship-like glass dome "skycatcher" building on the top in a €150m revamp.
It would quadruple the size of the hotel, transforming it into the biggest in the city, visible from both north and south of the Liffey.
The department has written to the hotel owners, the Clarence Partnership, requesting answers to what it describes as 18 key questions.
The department points out that under Section 57 of the Planning and Development Act states that authorities will not grant planning permission for the demolition of a protected structure, save in exceptional circumstances.
It states that it requires the strongest justification to do so and wants the owners to address this matter in detail. A hefty portion of the queries relate to the ambitious skycatcher glass dome, a Viking boat-shaped atrium stretching from the basement to the rooftop.
The council has also asked the applicants to clarify the numbers and purpose of all proposed openings onto both Wellington Quay and Essex Street East. The council wants more information and details on drawings and plans and requests clarification on the nature of the proposed retail area. Alise Devlin of the planning department said the Clarence Partnership must provide this information before the end of September. "We made the request on March 26 and they have six months from that date to respond," she said.
"We have not heard anything back from them yet, but that is not very unusual in these cases. So at the moment, the status of the application is dormant."
Bono plans to demolish the Georgian building and transform the 44-bedroom boutique hotel into a nine-storey, 141-bedroom five-star hotel and spa complete with signature restaurant, bar and fresh food market.
The new hotel will encompass the former Dollard printing works and four other Georgian buildings on Wellington Quay.
Objectors to the plan include An Taisce, the heritage trust, who say the proposal is completely inappropriate for both the protected structures and their historic city-centre location, and the Irish Georgian Society, which believes that the development would dwarf adjoining buildings and dominate the Liffey quays.
The Clarence hotel was established in 1852 and bought by Bono and the Edge in 1992. Despite being the hotel of choice for international celebrities, it has incurred losses of €1.2m.
http://www.u2france.com/spip.php?article10627
U2’s plans to turn the Clarence into "the most spectacular hotel in Europe" are on hold, after council officials issued a deadline to the supergroup to respond to a lengthy list of questions about the project.
Dublin City Council’s planning department says the status of the planning application is currently dormant, as it awaits a response from the owners, due before the end of September.
Bono and the Edge, who own the hotel in trendy Temple Bar in Dublin, want to take over the five protected structure buildings adjoining the Clarence and to erect a spaceship-like glass dome "skycatcher" building on the top in a €150m revamp.
It would quadruple the size of the hotel, transforming it into the biggest in the city, visible from both north and south of the Liffey.
The department has written to the hotel owners, the Clarence Partnership, requesting answers to what it describes as 18 key questions.
The department points out that under Section 57 of the Planning and Development Act states that authorities will not grant planning permission for the demolition of a protected structure, save in exceptional circumstances.
It states that it requires the strongest justification to do so and wants the owners to address this matter in detail. A hefty portion of the queries relate to the ambitious skycatcher glass dome, a Viking boat-shaped atrium stretching from the basement to the rooftop.
The council has also asked the applicants to clarify the numbers and purpose of all proposed openings onto both Wellington Quay and Essex Street East. The council wants more information and details on drawings and plans and requests clarification on the nature of the proposed retail area. Alise Devlin of the planning department said the Clarence Partnership must provide this information before the end of September. "We made the request on March 26 and they have six months from that date to respond," she said.
"We have not heard anything back from them yet, but that is not very unusual in these cases. So at the moment, the status of the application is dormant."
Bono plans to demolish the Georgian building and transform the 44-bedroom boutique hotel into a nine-storey, 141-bedroom five-star hotel and spa complete with signature restaurant, bar and fresh food market.
The new hotel will encompass the former Dollard printing works and four other Georgian buildings on Wellington Quay.
Objectors to the plan include An Taisce, the heritage trust, who say the proposal is completely inappropriate for both the protected structures and their historic city-centre location, and the Irish Georgian Society, which believes that the development would dwarf adjoining buildings and dominate the Liffey quays.
The Clarence hotel was established in 1852 and bought by Bono and the Edge in 1992. Despite being the hotel of choice for international celebrities, it has incurred losses of €1.2m.
http://www.u2france.com/spip.php?article10627
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