Sod Officially Turned on 217 New Homes in Cork City
Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD has formally turned the sod on The Railyard Apartments, a new social and affordable housing development in the heart of Cork city.
Located on the former Carey’s Tool Hire site on Albert Quay, the Railyard is the result of a collaborative partnership between Cork City Council, Clúid and JCD Group.
The Railyard Apartments will deliver 217 new homes in Cork’s Docklands by the end of 2027. The development will consist of a mix of studios, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments. These include 118 Cost Rental homes with rents at least 25% below the market average, 77 general needs social homes and 22 age-friendly social homes for individuals and families on Cork City Council’s housing list.
The project also includes an area on the ground floor to be used by the City Council for Docklands/community use.
When completed, the Railyard Apartments will be the tallest residential building in Ireland, coming in at 85.35 metres high, with a landmark, slender 25 storey tower built to a high architectural standard stepping down to 13 storeys and then 9 storeys.
The building has been designed by award winning architects Henry J Lyons with input from specialist tall building architect Richard Coleman of London based City Designer.
PJ Hegarty are the main contractors on the project and have been on site for the past number of months carrying out site clearance, road realignment and piling works. This is the third major project PJ Hegartys have worked on with JCD having previously built 85 South Mall and the Penrose Dock development.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said, “I am delighted to be here and formally turn the sod on The Railyard Apartments, a new affordable homes scheme in the heart of Cork city. The delivery of new homes continues to be an absolute priority of government this year and in the years ahead. This is an example of true partnership in Cork between Cork City Council, Clúid Housing and JCD Group and it is resulting in 217 new homes in the city.”
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD. said, “Under our new Housing Action Plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, we have pledged to build 300,000 new homes by 2030. So, mixed tenure developments such as this one, backed by over €44m funding from my Department are vital to achieving these ambitious targets.
“But it’s not just about numbers, it’s about each new dwelling providing a secure home for individuals and families where they can put down roots and thrive.”
Averil Power, CEO of Clúid added, “Clúid is delighted to be partnering with Cork City Council and JCD to deliver these fabulous new homes in our largest scheme in the city. Clúid has a long history of working closely with Cork City Council to deliver homes for those in housing need, and we already have 860 social and Cost Rental homes across the city. The Railyard development will allow over 200 individuals and families, who would likely otherwise be priced out of the area, to create a home in this new community in the heart of the city. They will be able to put down roots and take advantage of all the economic, educational, cultural and community opportunities Cork City has to offer.”
The development also involves permitted renovation and upgrade works to the listed terminus building and Carey House located to the rear of the site, which will be completed in parallel with the apartments and retained by JCD.
This will consist of a new bar/restaurant in the former terminus building, a new publicly accessible plaza and the refurbishment of the former Carey House building.
Valerie O’Sullivan, the Chief Executive of Cork City Council said: “The sod-turning at Railyard Apartments marks a significant milestone for Cork city centre and for social housing delivery in the city.
“This ambitious residential development in what will become Ireland’s tallest residential building shows what can be achieved when ambitious and dynamic local authorities work in partnership with equally ambitious partners. This scheme, once complete, will provide high-quality homes alongside new social and cultural spaces at the gateway to the city’s Docklands, and all within walking distance of the city centre’s many attractions.
The residents who will live here will, in just a few short months, bring new life, vibrancy and energy to the city centre.”
ENDS
Image attached: An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has turned the sod on the Railyard Apartments, a new social and affordable housing development at Albert Quay in the Docklands area of Cork city. Pictured with An Taoiseach are Averil Power, CEO of Clúid; Valerie O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Cork City Council; and Lord Mayor Cllr. Fergal Dennehy. Photo: Darragh Kane
For more information, please contact:
Fiona Corcoran, Healy Communications on behalf of JCD Group
087 052 1488 or fiona@healycommunications.ie
NOTES TO EDITOR
What is Cost Rental Housing?
Cost Rental is a new, secure form of rental housing tenure in Ireland, designed for people whose income means they don’t qualify for social housing or other support, such as HAP, but who still struggle to rent on the open market. All Cost Rental homes have their rents set at a minimum level of 25% below the local market rents. The rents in Cost Rental homes are set to cover the cost of construction, maintenance, and operation of the development, ensuring long-term affordability for residents.
To be eligible to rent one of these new Cost Rental homes, applicants must be able to prove:
● Their net household income is below €59,000 (€66,000 for homes in Dublin) per year
● They are not receiving any social housing supports, such as HAP or Rent Supplement
● They can afford the rent
● They don’t own a property
● The household is the correct size for the home
● All members of the household are resident in Ireland at the time of application