Council to build €40m civic centre near dump

A DUBLIN county council is to build a €40m civic centre near the site of an old landfill dump.

Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council is to develop the state-of-the-art community facility just off the M50 motorway, which will also allow people to walk or cycle from Carrickmines to Stepaside through a public park.

The spend on the Samuel Beckett Civic Campus will be among the largest investments ever made by a local authority on community facilities in one location.

It will include a library, sports hall, swimming pool, creche and skatepark, while four synthetic football pitches and a 'fitness trail' will also be provided on an 18-acre site at Ballyogan.

Architects Bucholz McEvoy -- who designed the award-winning Fingal County Hall in Swords and Limerick County Council's offices in Dooradoyle -- will design the campus. The design cost amounts to €3.6m.

"Construction will begin in 18 months or so, but we have to get planning approval and it (the final design) will go to the councillors for approval," council spokesman Rory O'Sullivan said.

Irish Independent