From the Galway City Tribune – The developer behind plans to refurbish derelict buildings on Dominick Street – and build a 46-bedroom boutique hotel – has put the project on hold due to rising energy and construction costs.

Eoin Carroll of Carroll’s Inns Ltd was granted permission in 2018 for alterations and extensions to numbers 39, 41 and 43 Dominick Street, all of which are protected structures, to make way for 46 bedrooms. Number 39 currently houses Carroll’s pub.

That planning permission is due to expire in January 2023, and the company has now sought permission for a five-year ‘Extension of Duration’ to complete the project.

“Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and now the rising cost of construction and energy, the building will need to be postponed based on feasibility at the present time,” city planners were told.

The City Council will decide in February whether to grant the extension of time.

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Mr Carroll had initially sought permission to develop a 43-bed hotel, pub and restaurant on the site, but following discussions with the local authority, revisions to the plans were drawn up, and the number of bedrooms was increased to 46.

The Council’s Senior Executive Planner Liam Blake in his planning report at the time, wrote: “The hotel is predominantly located in the rear portion of the site but also encompasses six bedrooms in part of the original building fronting Dominick Street, which should ensure the continued use of this protected structure in line with good conservation practice and the Development Plan policies.

“The rear portion of the site is also being redeveloped providing two internal courtyards and enhancing the relationship with the mill race to the rear, which is a protected structure. The existing mill race wall is being rebuilt and the portion which is currently open will have a new wall with railings or glazed screen.

“The removal of the central stair core, which was deemed surplus to requirements, has allowed the provision of three additional double bedrooms and a new store room.

“This brings the total number of bedrooms in the hotel up to 46, which is considered to be of benefit tot the overall tourist offer in the city,” Mr Blake wrote.

Planners approved the application, attracting a total of 19 conditions, including a stipulation that construction and demolition work can only take place from 9am to 6pm on Mondays to Fridays and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.

The applicants have also been ordered to pay €75,000 towards the cost of transportation facilities in the area and just under €31,000 towards the cost of providing services.

A conservation architect and an archaeologist must also be employed on the site to report and record any finds.

Fáilte Ireland supported the application, saying the proposal would be “a valuable addition to the accommodation stock in the city and would go some way to address the accommodation challenge being faced by the city”.

In 2019, An Bord Pleanála rejected plans for a fourth floor (with nine bedrooms and a lounge area) to be added to the proposals on the grounds that the additional height, scale and bulk of the extension was not acceptable and would constitute overdevelopment.

Mr Carroll’s other business interests include Get Furnished and Cash Factory Furniture, as well as Galway City Karting.