Multi-million euro investment proposed for Mayo's county town
A MULTI-MILLION euro town centre development for Castlebar is in the pipeline.
The plans include a 98-bedroom nursing home, 49 sheltered apartments, and a mix of retail and office space on a site adjacent to the Castle Street carpark.
If approved, it is set to be the biggest ever town centre development in Castlebar.
A formal application for planning approval is expected to be lodged with Mayo County Council in the near future after a planning notice was published.
The developers are The Mall Syndicate.
The site in question is an infill and part brownfield site adjoining the Castle Street carpark, Rock Square and the laneway to the former military barracks (a protected structure) at Gorteendrunagh, Castlebar. It also includes a derelict property on Castle Street - Ivy House.
The published notice sets out that the 98-bedroom nursing home would accommodate 112 bed spaces. The property would range in height from two to five storeys.
Twenty-seven undercroft car parking spaces as well as bicycle parking are also part of the plan.
It is intended to retain the front facade of Ivy House, which has been vacant for some time. That property, when refurbished, would be used as part of the nursing home, housing its administration offices and staff canteen.
Provision is also made for a landscaped public space adjoining Rock Square.
The proposed development provides for 49 sheltered apartments, with a mix of 24 two-bedroom and 25 one-bedroom units, as well as 46 undercroft parking spaces.
This four-storey block will also have three retail spaces plus an office unit.
Two new pedestrian connections between the Castle Street carpark and existing military barracks laneway also form part of the plan, with five new openings in the barracks wall, which is a protected structure.
Councillor Ger Deere described the proposal as 'an exciting development' on what is a prime site.
It is the biggest ever development proposed for the town centre and, if it proceeds, could kickstart the whole rejuvenation of the wider Main Street area, he commented.
With an ageing population, he welcomed the plans for a nursing home and particularly the independent living aspect of the proposal.
The proposal will have to go through the planning process, he noted, and will require serious consideration when it is submitted to the planning office.