Plans to demolish the eight storey Carrisbrook House in Dublin 4 and replace it with a ten storey office block have been stalled.
Last month, Dublin City Council granted planning permission to Atria V Lux SARL for the demolition of the well known building that is located at the junction of Pembroke Road and Northumberland Road and across the road from the site of the former Jury's hotel.
Carrisbrook House served as the home of the Israeli embassy in Ireland up until its relocation to nearby Shelbourne Road in 2019.
Atria V Lux SARL’s plan now includes a restaurant and cafe at ground floor level.
The new office block scheme at 12,690 square metres will provide more than three times the gross floor area of the current Carrisbrook House which has a gross floor area of 3,757 square metres.
However, the scheme has been stalled after an appeal has been lodged to An Bord Pleanala against the City Council decision by the Pembroke Road Residents Association and The Lansdowne and District Residents Association.
In its joint appeal, the Residents' Associations argue that there is an over-abundance of empty office space in the district.
On behalf of the residents' associations, Siobhan Cuffe stated: "All the indications internationally are at this time that this concept of city centre office space is not required as such in the post Covid urban world."
Ms Cuffe contended that the proposal is an out of date concept of a purely office building with decorative frills of a small cafe at ground level.
Ms Cuffe stated that "we ought to be able to do better than this and we can if we can put our thoughts together".
The city council granted planning permission for the scheme after concluding that the proposed development "will upgrade a prominent location in the city, contribute to employment in the area and will allow for the construction of a contemporary/modern building in a city location proximate to public transport and other amenities".
The Council also concluded that the scheme "exhibits a contemporary design which will make a positive contribution to the subject site and Dublin's urban fabric".
The Council also stated that "the proposed development would not seriously injure the residential amenity or architectural quality of the surrounding location".
Planning consultants for the scheme, John Spain & Associates, stated that the proposal "represents a further opportunity to secure the improvement of an inner suburban site at a strategic location".
A decision is due on the appeal in October.
