New ‘Ceannt Station Quarter’ plan back on the cards

Plans for the redevelopment of Ceannt Station – potentially including an extended train and bus station, along with a new hotel, shops, apartment ‘skyscraper’, offices and an urban park – are back on the cards.

CIE has advertised for a partner for the project – which would cost several hundred million euro to develop in phases over a decade.

The ‘New Galway’ project was previously mooted at the height of the Celtic Tiger boom in October 2006 – three years later, plans progressed for an €800m regeneration of the site.

However, that plan was shelved in 2012 by the National Transport Authority after it failed to raise funding from worldwide investment funds.

This week, CIE has advertised for tenders from developers interested in partnering with them for the new ‘Ceannt Station Quarter’.

Under the current City Development Plan, the City Council has ordered that a masterplan for the site must be drawn up, with a “significant level” of engagement with the local authority, the public and adjoining landowners.

The original masterplan for the Ceannt site included a new train station (including a new mainline platform and commuter platform), new bus station, park and ride and bicycle parking, as well as a new urban park, a 150 room 4-star hotel as part of the bus station complex and a 16-storey apartment building.

Plans also included around 56,000 square metres of retail space, cafés, bars, restaurants and civic squares.
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