Plans to develop a creative hub at Nuns’ Island advanced this week after the local authority invited tenders from contractors to complete the project.

Galway City Council wants to appoint a management consultancy team to deliver its multi-million-euro plans for a refurbished building in the city centre.

The plans include developing a creative centre at Church House at 23 Nuns’ Island, to the rear of the theatre.

They want the space redesigned and converted to include theatre dressing rooms, offices, toilets, hot-desking for cultural organisations, catering and café facilities storage space, and multi-purpose spaces for meetings, networking cultural training and workshops, and community, corporate or educational events.  The project brief includes linking the Church House to the adjoining Nuns’ Island Theatre building

Works at the theatre itself include improving its energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint including by installing solar panels. Other works include the modernisation, repairs and conservation of the existing building.

The site is bounded east and west by Nuns’ Island and Eglinton Canal, with apartments to the north of it, and The Bish school to the south.

Pictured: The project includes the redevelopment of Church House to the rear of the theatre building.

“The site lies in a flood risk area and opportunities to reduce flood risk should be sought. This will primarily be in the form of finished floor levels and consideration of flood resilience and emergency access,” the Council brief said.

City Councillors have already approved a Part 8 planning application for the job and Government funding of €3.8m was previously announced.

In its tender, the Council has sought a “full range of complimentary management consultancy team services” to including architectural, engineering and quantity surveying services.

The documents state that the contract duration is 18 months.

Pictured: How the completed project will look.