School in a different class

The redevelopment of the historic Piscatorial School building in the Claddagh in Galway City is ahead of schedule, and will be ready to house its anchor tenant, Rent the Runway, from this summer.

The building will be home to the international technology office of the American e-commerce fashion company, which announced in April the creation of 150 jobs in Galway.

The company is already hiring and is temporarily based at Portershed but staff could be on-site in Claddagh as early as this June.

The property was acquired last September by Fort Eyre Developments, who immediately commenced a redevelopment programme which comprises of an extension and full refit to bring the structure to a total footprint of 5,200 square feet.

AIB is supporting the financing of the acquisition and redevelopment of the building into a grade ‘A’ city centre office block.

The estimated cost of the project is €2 million and it will be completed under budget and ahead of schedule, according to sources.

A protected structure on the western side of Claddagh Quay, the mid-nineteenth century three-bay three-storey structure was originally purpose-built as a fisheries school to educate the local fishing community.It subsequently operated as a primary school, an unemployment exchange and a Youthreach training centre.

Led by Michael Gibbons, Fort Eyre Development said its mission and passion is to “respectfully restore protected structures”. Previous projects include the full redevelopment of Fort Eyre House and surrounding buildings in Shantalla into 19 apartments.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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