Plan for new city Cultural Quarter hits funding snag

Plans to overhaul the Dyke Road as Galway’s cultural hub have hit delays as City Hall officials try to secure finance from national and European development funds.

It was confirmed at the end of last year by the Council’s Chief Executive, Brendan McGrath, that central to the redevelopment of the Black Box Theatre would be the construction of a new multi-storey car park.

It was hoped that planners would have been ready to put the project to tender in the last quarter of 2016.

However, a spokesperson for Galway City Council has confirmed to the Galway City Tribune that the project has been delayed – citing the complicated process of securing funding.

“We are in the process of starting a scoping exercise with a view to securing the procurement of funds,” he said. “We are looking at national and European funding – we have to obtain the value of the site and this will inform us in conjunction with the national bodies.”

While consultants have yet to produce any concrete plans for the hugely-ambitious project, the City Council has established a ball-park figure that they anticipate the works will cost.

“We are talking potentially €12 million,” said the spokesperson. “But we are nowhere near bricks and mortar at this stage.”

For the rest of this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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