Galway City Council is pushing ahead with plans to relocate City Hall to a new office block in Mervue.

The local authority is planning to farm out the ‘staff engagement’ element of the move. The relocation will cost €56 million.

City councillors voted this summer to approve the application of a loan of €45.5 million to buy a new building at Crown Square in Mervue.

This week, management at the Council moved to plough ahead with the plans and advertised for a ‘project management service’ for the transition from College Road to the new site.

Among the services it’s looking to procure is consultancy to provide “updates to internal working groups established as part of the staff engagement and consultation processes, elected members and other stakeholder groups”.

It will be the “lead for the logistics planning and delivery of the workforce move to its new location”, according to the tender.

The City Council said it expected that the move will take place on a “phased basis” starting in autumn next year.

It plans to be fully moved to offices at the junction of Joyce’s Road and Monivea Road by Christmas 2023.

“To ensure we achieve the fit-out design and installation and the move to the new office on time, meeting the correct standards and budget we are seeking project management services with specific experience in office design, office fit out installations, logistics planning, communications and move coordination from our existing three office location to our new headquarters,” the Council said.

It said the new Council offices will be part of a “vibrant campus” that will have “five office buildings, cafés, and hotel all designed around a public plaza on 12.65 acres of landscaped grounds”.

The service being procured will act as a ”bridge” between Chief Executive Brendan McGrath’s senior management team, an internally appointed ‘project manager’ and “suppliers utilised for the various elements of the project delivery through an agreed communications protocol”.

The winning contractor will be asked to provide “governance” for the project; offer advice to “ensure the Council is informed to make value added decisions”.

It will also be asked to ensure the delivery of building standards at the facility.

This article first appeared in the print edition of the Galway City Tribune, September 16. You can support our journalism by subscribing to the Galway City Tribune HERE. The print edition is in shops every Friday.