Cork City Council will discuss at it’s Council meeting on the 8th of October, a proposal to undertake an independent assessment to determine if there is an economic case for public investment in a multifunctional large scale event centre for Cork City.
The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr John Buttimer said that
“The proposal to conduct a review of the development of a large scale event centre in Cork City is timely and something which I have looked for since I came in as Lord Mayor, in the context that three potential planning applications have been granted in the city over the past number of years (Howard holdings – Docklands, Heinken Ireland/Bam – Beamish and Crawford and the Own O’Callaghan development on Albert Quay, and an offer by the City Council of possible financial support as far back as 2007.”
Cllr Buttimer, added;
“As the second largest population base in the country, an event centre is clearly needed to attract further entertainment, tourist and commercial activity to the region. However, it would be important to determine the effects such developments would have on existing facilities and operations, notably the Cork Opera House of which the City Council is a majority shareholder.”
Cllr Buttimer concluded by saying;
“There is also an obligation on the private developers who proposed the developments to indicate the level of support they would require from either the local authority or from national funding to ensure that any venture was viable and sustainable. The private sector should be mindful of the very difficult economic times in which we are living and the argument for public investment has to be well made and show a clear finiancial, economic and social dividend for the city.“