Galway City Hall to make way for social housing in €50m Crown Square move

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – A multimillion-euro plan to relocate City Hall to Mervue – and to build up to 250 homes on College Road – will be unveiled on Monday, the Galway City Tribune has learned.

Councillors have been informally briefed on proposals to purchase an office block in the Crown Square off the Monivea Road in Mervue for around €50m, which includes VAT and Stamp Duty.

It would allow the transfer of Council staff to the new, larger, energy-efficient building and free up the College Road site for a major regeneration project.

It’s understood the site at College Road could facilitate the construction of up to 250 social and affordable houses for elderly and people with disabilities, plus a new library and commercial space. That development would require an additional investment of up to €40m.

It is understood the ‘buy and relocate’ to Mervue is the ‘preferred option’ among a number of choices to be presented to elected members about the future of the local authority’s headquarters.

Other options include the refurbishment and extension of the existing City Hall building, as well as renting alternative office space to accommodate additional staff. It’s understood the Land Development Agency would be involved in the redevelopment of City Hall.

Councillors declined to comment publicly on the proposals until they are officially outlined by the Chief Executive of Galway City Council, Brendan McGrath at next Monday’s City Council meeting. Mr McGrath could not be reached for comment yesterday.

This is a shortened preview version of this article. For more details on the proposed move, see the July 8 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.