Henry Street might have residents for the first time in decades after a German company lodged plans to convert an over-shop storage area into apartments.
The German property investment company Institutional Investments Partners GmbH is planning to convert storage space at 42-43 Henry Street into eight new residential units. Under the plans lodged with Dublin City Council, the first, second and third floors will be converted into two studios apartments, five one-bed apartments and one two-bed apartment.
The shop space will be retained at the ground floor, while a new rooftop garden and storage space at basement level will make the properties even more attractive to buyers. The redevelopment will also see a new communal roof garden which will be accessed by a newly installed lift, as well as the conversion of the basement level into residential storage, and storage space for 13 bikes.
Read more: Public dog toilet launched to discourage dog fouling
Independent Dublin City Councillor Christy Burke has welcomed the reintroduction of residents to Henry Street. He told Dublin Live: “I’ve been promoting this for many, many many years.” He is hoping that this would bring activity and vibrancy back to Henry Street and many people have reached out to him yesterday with positive feedback about the plan.
Cllr Burke hopes other streets in Dublin and Ireland will follow suit and this would “take on areas of darkness and the lack of redevelopment”. He also said: “It's a welcome development. It'll be worth to see when it's completed, and all it can do is follow suit, bring it into Capel Street, Parnell Street, Dorset Street.
“I think it's a great idea and, and people then are not afraid to go into the areas and it has a knock on effect with shopping, the economy.” One thing he insists on however is that the properties “must be affordable”.
He said: “They must be in the reach of the working woman and the working man, and they must be in the reach where people can go out to where people can go out to work, earn a wage and be able to pay [off the houses] at a comfortable rate that’s not going to crucify them. Low prices [for] low incomes, and you'll have a vibrant community. And it could be the start of a great journey in the city or in the country of Ireland.”
Mr Burke explained that one of the biggest problems they face in Dublin City Council is the procurement process that can take four to five years with design, with permission, with objections. “That all has to stop," he said.
"That has to be fast-tracked. I’m not saying remove the right of people objecting but it needs to be fast tracked in order to put roofs over the heads of people and put families into homes." He added people living in over-shop accommodation is something you can see in cities like New York.
“It’s always worked, and it can work in Dublin,” he concluded.
READ NEXT:
- Christy Dignam opens up on happiest moment of his life in touching 'final' interview
Dog tied to railings and abandoned twice in a day in Dublin city centre
Bill for housing Ukrainian refugees in Ireland to hit €1 billion within weeks
Olympian pays tribute to 'true love' Craig Breen as funeral date announced
RTE Operation Transformation's Mary Diamond dies at 57 as tributes paid to 'absolute gem'
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
