Visionary plan could future proof city living

FIVE design options were presented this week to the City Council for the development of a 21-acre Sandy Road site into a major living quarter over the course of the next decade.

With the vast majority of the 8.6-hectare site already in public ownership – the exception being the Galway Bay fm property – plans are now proceeding for the development of the site into a mainly residential complex.

The City Council, Galway County Council and the ESB own the bulk of the land (circa 19 acres) on the site and according to John Coleman, CEO of the Land Development Agency (LDA), the ambition of the project is to ‘deliver affordable homes in a new sustainable neighbourhood’.

City Council Chief Executive, Brendan McGrath, told last Monday’s Council meeting in Leisureland that the proposals were currently at the discussion and consultation stage with the project likely to be completed in a number of phases.

“The five architects had a free-hand to see what vision they could imagine for the site without a strict brief. We thank them for their time, expertise and creativity,” he said.

The five architects – all members of the RIAI (The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland) – have drawn up five ‘development visions’ for the Sandy Road site with the number of accommodation units [mostly apartments] varying from 564 to 1,352.

According to John Coleman, the amalgamation of the parcels of land on the Sandy Road presented ‘a truly transformative opportunity for the people of Galway City’ over the coming years.

“It is very encouraging to see how closely the common themes that have emerged [the five proposals from the architects] align with our objectives at the Land Development Agency.

“These are compact growth, sustainability, high quality living and open spaces, and the rebalancing of the movement and transport hierarchy in favour of walking cycling and public transport,” Mr Coleman said.

Brendan McGrath told councillors that the project was only at a preliminary stage with the five development visions now open for general discussion and examination by all stakeholders and at community level.

He added that the project, done well, would afford Galway the opportunity to plan and develop major infrastructure which would benefit the city for generations to come.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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