Save the Markievicz Pool and College Gate Apartments

26/06/2019

Press Release 26.06.19:

"The Save Markievicz Pool and Gym campaign group will be holding a public meeting on Wednesday 26th June at 6:30pm in Saint Andrew’s Resource Centre, Pearse Street, Dublin 2. We have invited users of the leisure centre, local residents and supporters as well as Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Transport Authority, Dublin City Council, Ministers Eoghan Murphy and Shane Ross and elected representatives from the area.

Cecil Smith, a regular user of the pool, said: “The City is outraged that a public pool is to be destroyed because of an underground station. This is a city-wide issue as this is the only public, 25 metre pool in the city centre and it is the only public pool which is actually open on a regular basis. People come from all over the city to use this pool and it is of historic significance, with the Tara Street baths having been in the area since 1886.

There are also the 70 apartments above the leisure centre and the 8 homes on Townsend Street which are to be demolished as well. How can this be justified during a housing crisis? Alternative plans have been presented to MetroLink so that the station can go ahead while keeping the pool and the homes intact, but they don’t seem to care. Transport Infrastructure Ireland seem to be determined to destroy these public facilities and these homes. We’re not going to allow this to happen.”

For more info Please Contact John Dean
[email protected]

Save 78 Homes and the Markievicz Pool

19/05/2019

They say they will rebuild the leisure centre but no word on when and where. Na Fianna had the station moved because their pitches would be closed for at least two years. Will be the same here. Why are Glasnevin communities and South Dublin treated better than city centre ones?

The pool and leisure centre are set to be demolished to make way for MetroLink.

18/05/2019

Throwback to that time we were on the evening news. There's still time to visit our site, copy a template and make a submission to help save homes. This isn't a zero sum game! There are viable alternatives that both build a world class metro station and prevent the loss of 70 homes and a gym used by 1000s in the local area.

More info: https://savecollegegate.com/make-a-submission-to-tii

17/05/2019

A pledge we've asked all candidates running in the local election to sign, requesting they put homes first in their constituencies.

Today, we are sending our Pledge of Support to candidates in the upcoming local elections in Dublin 2. We need councillors that protect our communities from poor planning by
Dublin City Council. We will publish the names of the signatures on this page prior to the election.

15/05/2019

There are not enough homes to move people into - yet they're destroying 70 more to build a metro station that could be moved one block south instead impacting only a car park, empty building and office building. Madness? We seem to think so.

Stock countrywide stood at just 2,700 properties on May 1st – the lowest figure since series began

15/05/2019

The protection of a large sewer is not a good enough reason to demolish a block of flats and leisure centre to facilitate the construction of a metro station, campaigners have insisted.

Save College Gate, a group representing residents of an apartment complex on Luke Street in Dublin, have called again on the promoters to rethink the design of the project.

Plans for an underground station at Tara Street involve demolishing the College Gate apartment block. It would also result in the loss of the Markievicz leisure centre on Luke Street, which occupies the ground floor of the College Gate building, as well as eight duplex units on Townsend Street.

The owners and tenants of 70 apartments have claimed the station could be moved to a location between Pearse Street and Townsend Street. They have criticised what they claims was a lack of due diligence carried out by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) into an examination of alternative options.

The plans are part of the proposed €3 billion Metrolink underground rail system from Swords to the city centre via Dublin airport.

“The limited analysis given to each option indicates TII made no serious attempt to explore the potential of the proposed location changes for the station,” a spokesman said.

TII and the National Transport Authority, which are jointly overseeing Metrolink, said they examined eight other designs, including three from residents, for the Tara Street station which would have avoided any impact on College Gate. The alternatives would have involved demolishing other buildings, closing roads and diverting large sewers, they said.

Save College Gate said the only buildings affected by its proposal were two office blocks, one of which was vacant, a health facility and a car park.

Aidan Foley, TII’s project director for Metrolink, said the plan involving the demolition of College Gate still “remains the preferred option”.

TII said it was looking to engage with the residents more closely with a view to getting into early negotiations to make the process “less painful” for those living in College Gate.

The protection of a large sewer is not a good enough reason to demolish a block of flats and leisure centre to facilitate the construction of a metro station, campaigners have insisted. Save...

15/05/2019

There is a war on homes being waged in Dublin City Centre. This is what it looks like - 150 people uprooted. It's in your power to stop it. http://tiny.cc/e0oq6y

13/05/2019

Rent keeps on going up. Meanwhile they're needlessly tearing down homes in the city centre.

There are 2,700 homes available to rent nationwide – the lowest recorded number – according to the latest report from Daft.ie.

12/05/2019

70 High quality, well-maintained and spacious apartments in the heart of Dublin City.