Publican, Charlie Chawke is to seek planning permission for 290 apartments and a four star 50 bedroom hotel on lands adjacent to his Goat pub in Goatstown in south Dublin.
Mr Chawke's Charjon Investments Ltd has presented plans to An Bord Pleanala to construct the 290 apartments beside the Goat.
In an interview, Mr Chawke revealed that his plan also includes a 50 bedroom four star hotel for the 3.8 acre site.
Charjon Investments has entered formal consultation with An Bord Pleanala on the 290 unit apartment plan with a view to lodging 'fast track' plans after the appeals board carries out a preliminary assessment of the plans.
"I am very excited about what is planned," Mr Chawke said, "Goatstown needs a hotel and needs accommodation."
He said he hopes construction work can commence in the next 12 months on the project. "I want it done in my lifetime. I want to give Goatstown a beautiful hotel and accommodation."
"This land is lying there and it need to be developed or else we will be in trouble with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council," he said.
Mr Chawke was referring to powers where the council can place the site on the Vacant Site register that forces the landowner to pay a 7% site annual levy to the council if it remains undeveloped.
He said the Goat will be enhanced in the new plan.
Mr Chawke said that he was unsuccessful with a planning application at the site 15 years ago. "This is a much better plan and more suitable for the Goat and the whole site."
The apartments will be built in four blocks and that the apartments will be for sale.
The Goat was his third pub which he purchased for £600,000 in 1982 and opened it the following year. Lands at the pub site were purchased later on.
The Charjon plan put before the appeals board is part of a scramble by developers over the past five weeks to lodge 'fast track' residential plans.
In statistics released by the appeals board, they show that for the period April 21 to May 22 last, developers have lodged 22 separate fast track plans for a total of 5,661 residential units.
The vast proportion of the residential units relate to apartments for the greater Dublin area.
On his plans to re-open seven of his pubs as restaurants only next month when more Covid 19 restrictions are lifted, Mr Chawke said that preparation are continuing. He said his customers "are all waiting to come back".
The Goat is one of Mr Chawke's pub with a restaurant licence due to re-open. Mr Chawke said that food already accounted for over 50% of the group's business before Covid 19. "We will abide by all the requirements and make the place acceptable and safe to our locals and staff."
He said his licensed premises are currently being prepared to cater for the 2m social distant rule and capacity will down around 50%.
The group employs 440 and roughly 70% have lost their jobs. "We have got to be seen to try to get people back to work. It is very unfair people sitting around doing nothing and if we can do our part in getting people back to work, we will."
Mr Chawke stated that the premises to open as restaurants are six Dublin based - the Goat, The Old Orchard in Rathfarmham, Bank on College Green, Searson's on Baggot Street, The Lord Lucan, the Dropping Well and Aunty Lena's in Adare, Co Limerick.
