Development To Spell The End Of Moore Street Market?

dublin | anti-capitalism | feature

Wednesday November 21, 2007 16:50

by G.McKnight

sonoftheredhairedslave at gmail dot com

Are Developers To Drop A Dundrum On The Market's Head?

Dublin's much loved Moore St. market, one of the most organically diverse, culturally & historically layered streets remaining in Dublin city centre is under serious threat of extinction from a €500 million multi-story commercial development. Plans are soon due to be fully unveiled to the public.

Take a walk along Moore Street and one will notice the disappearance of the many ethnic businesses which have enlivened the street over the past several years having recently been served eviction notices. The beginning of a process which may eradicate and at best sterilise the Moore Street market.

The developer behind the Dundrum shopping centre has in the past few years bought most of the property in an area encompassing Henry Street to Parnell Street in the north/south direction and O'Connell Street to Moore Street in the east/west direction. Most of the buildings are to be demolished to make way for a glorified shopping centre to include two canopied multi-storey shopping streets.

These plans are due to be submitted for planning application with the full support of Dublin City Council in what will no doubt be sold to the public as a 'visionary' and 'revitalising' project for the north inner city.

In reality this is a soul-less, short-sighted enterprise with a purely commercial approach in the heart of Dublin - a city which in the recent economic boom, has too often been victim of unscrupulously savage building development which is slowly eroding its inherent spirit and character.

Readers may be aware of the preservation orders placed on No's 16-19 Moore Street (in commemoration of 1916), which will be incorporated into the new development. At present the Moore Street Traders have been given minimal consultancy, with lip service being made to include the market in any new scheme. However, one would have to write with cynicism as to the sincerity of any promises made by either the developers, or Dublin City Council who have done little to support the traders over the last decade.

The insatiable materialistic driving forces at work behind this development are completely devoid of sensitivity to the value which particularly the market plays in the local urban fabric. The shallowness in approach is reflected in the architecture and urban design of the project, bereft of any depth or sustainable thinking.

The Moore Street market also serves as a strong anchor for the inner city working class communities. The stark contrast between the overly commercialised stress created along Henry Street with the organic and human atmosphere created by the market is acutely apparent. The clear distinction here is between what is real and what is fake.

Plans of this development will soon be made available to the public who have the power to object and make a stand with the traders. Currently the traders have been told they will be accommodated but will have to relocate during the construction period which could be up to five years. Dublin City Council have not given the traders any alternative location for this period nor is it clear if any storage units will be provided in the new development necessary for any daily market to function. All the indications point towards the traders being permanently squeezed.

The objective of this article at this point is to raise awareness among readers of indymedia toward these plans.

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Comments (12 of 12)

Judgement day?

by Seán Ryan

Sat Nov 10, 2007 19:53

I take it that the Carlton site is part of this project.

Funny story about that site.

A few years ago it was owned by another party. DCC issued a compulsary purchase order (CPO) after some very dodgy machinations. The former owner took the matter to the courts. Whilst this was being fought out in the courts, DCC allowed a developer to move in and begin work.

An attempt to raise this fact was made before DCC, but Terry the Law Agent had somehow gotten wind of this fact and he turned up at the meeting to stop it before it got started. He said the matter could not be discussed as it was sub judice.

The proof of my point, i.e. that the developer moved in whilst this matter was in the courts can be seen in the court records themselves. Look at the dates, especially the date of the judgement (02/05/2007).

Note also that in the final judgement, the judge all but asks counsel to challenge the constitutionality of the planning and development Act 2000: " I would dismiss the appeal in so far as it relates to grounds other than the challenge to the constitutionality of certain provisions of the Planning and Development Act, 2000. If it is intended to pursue that constitutionality issue, the court will discuss appropriate procedures with counsel."

http://www.courts.ie/Judgments.nsf/597645521f07ac9a8025...ument

There's a whole pandora's box of whuppass waiting to be released on this one.

TLC

Tue Nov 13, 2007 22:13

I suppose the question that begs to be asked, if one reads my post above is:

When or indeed was the development at the Carlton site, put up for tender?

This question is especially interesting what with the European Courts ruling on whether Ireland is in violation of procurement laws within the next few days.

Is the whole process Constitutional?

by We the People

Wed Nov 14, 2007 01:02

Yes, this one is a real biggy and not a blip in the main stream Rags.

Word is that Archictect Paul Clinton is the real owner of the Carlton site in O'Connell Street who submitted Plans for to develop his Lands only to be C.P.O.d through the legal Dept. of Terence O'Keeffe in D.C.C.

His site was 'given' to developer Joe O'Reilly to develop. A judgment by the European Court of Justice was expected today in the European Commission's action against the Irish Govt. over it's Public Procurment Policies.
It , took the action against Ireland for failing to publish calls for Tender before awarding Contracts.

We may see this whole debacle unfold slowly as it is so reletive to the Rossport compulsory aquisition order situation which has given shell the same free hand of ride rough shot.

Planning Objection

Sun Nov 18, 2007 21:00

Thats sure is interesting about the Carlton site CPO. I was not aware. I'm sure other such dubious dealings are related to some of the other numerous properties bought to pave way for this beast.

This is due to go in for planning permission with DCC any day. Might be interesting to lodge an objection based on that Carlton info. Any objection has to be dealt with on merit.

Would that be a spanner you are holding??

Public Meeting

by gra

Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:54

There will be a public meeting for anybody interested in getting involved in opposing this project and publicising the proposed development, it'll be in Seomra Spraoi at 6.30 this Thursday the 22nd of November.

All wecome.

Seomra Spraoi is located at 4 Marys Abbey, Dublin 7. Walk down luas tracks from O Connell St, cross capel st and its on your right.

On and on it goes

by Aragon

Thu Nov 22, 2007 07:55

The laws of this country are now so inimical to any notion of democracy that there is only one form of protest left to people who care: non violent direct action / peaceful civil disobedience. Otherwise people are going to be forced to watch another corrupt sham unfold in front of their eyes. 'Nice' protestors will use up their life and energy in pointless appeals processes. Don't even bother - that's intended to keep you harmlessly busy while they get on with doing what they want. Already the usual ingredients are evident: dodgy deals, illegality, abuse of process and so forth.

Hasn't this all happened before?

Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:32

http://nyssenate17.com/press_archive_story.asp?id=1024

Maybe there would be some support from friends across the pond?

The Moore Street Lending Library, successfull social centres and neighbours

by dunk

Fri Nov 23, 2007 13:18

fuspey at yahoo dot co dot uk

there was an open exhibition / research group that explored the streets past, present and future 2 years ago, The Moore Street Lending Library. Some strong links were made, some queens crowned, some stories and dreams shared. Street radio, films, much documentation happened, be good to re-connect with that network, try to find glen. glad to see seomra spraoi making these links to its city and neighbours, its what really counts at end of day.

in barcelona, many successfull social centres have deep and strong connections with their neighbours

The Moore Street Lending Library
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=72169

"Moore Street Lending Library, 2nd floor, 55 Moore Street (entrance Sampsons Lane), Dublin 1.

Planned projects by artists at the site include a radio broadcast, a newsheet publication with contributions from local business owners and residents in the area, including performances and screenings in the venue - which will also be open as a learning resource and drop-in centre open to the public and invited participants for three weeks. The library will exist as a kind of - shop of curiosities - whose shelves will be packed with artifacts, documents and useful information related to the street, its histories and future development. Suffice to say, that this is a unique and groundbreaking project which attempts to step away from the conventional approach of developing community-based artistic interventions and seeks to become a sustainable and useful resource in the ever changing and evolving fabric of Dublin's inner city.

There is also an open invitation to artists to participate in this unique event by using The Moore Street Lending Library in their practice as a resource, or through a response to it - for part or all of the time of the project. All participation in The Moore Street Lending Library will be archived, and covered in the regular publications emanating from the site."

dublin social centre and connecting with the wider community in the markets area
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84294#comment207526

The ongoing "war" against Barcelona's okupas and its social movement(s)
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84698#comment213076

good luck, and thanks

moore st radio 2005

moore st communication space 2005 (a wall)

Proposed Development

by reality

Wed Nov 28, 2007 09:11

I find it strange that you are organising a mob meeting before you have even seen the plans. The redevelopment of this site is crucial to realigning the city centre of Dublin back to the O'Connell St area from Grafton St - this is required to address many of the social ills and redress much of the unequal division of wealth in the city over the last 20 years. The entire site is a piece of necrotic urban tissue and the only reason the 'rich' and 'diverse' shops offering mobile phone unlocking services sprung up is because the developer was offering cheap short-term rents. Moore Street is a marketplace, it is not under threat, it is a function of the city.
I am of course suspicious, but this site badly needs redevelopment and I would prefer wait and see what the plans are.

..'unequal division of wealth'...

Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:03

On the above issue , it is important for all to be clear on the fact that this Site,probably the most expensive in Europe, was robbed from the owner by D.C.C. and given to developer Joe O'Reilly to develop.

The REAL owner ,an Archictect himself,submitted plans to develop it and preserve the historical 1916 House in Moore Street in the process but was told to, 'back off'.
So,skip the glossy nice plausable language.

1916 & Moore Street

by realist

Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:10

The houses on Moore Street and their adjacent lots, where the leaders of the 1916 rising stood last, were declared a national monument earlier this year. As such, any development would have to take them into account, and deal with them sensitively and appropriately.

I don't give a crap which developer is involved as long as the scheme is of merit. I'm beyond caring how it fell into their hands, and feel that it is not a valid reason to object to a project. Any developer, be it Tom, Dick or Harry, in control of this site will deal with the heritage appropriately - from design stage - as it is too much of a risk not to address in in their first attempt at planning. The interest accrued on their loans to secure the sites would be immense for the time wasted on every plan refused.

hunting for moore street images...

Tue Dec 04, 2007 16:51

€4m facelift for city's famed street ...from '99, arkiseek
http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=2184

and from irish indo, July 30 2003
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=...=9571

"Bucholz McEvoy Architects, who designed the new Fingal County Council HQ in Swords, are currently drafting proposals to transform the Moore Street thoroughfare. "

cant access their website now fromhere, http://www.bmcea.com/ but they designted the sucessful and eco built fingal offices in swords some years back

to see some of their buildings see
http://images.google.ie/images?svnum=10&um=1&hl=ca&q=bu...cevoy

and finally merrit bucholz is the head of the new architecture school in limerick, which is supposed to be very eco-focused: http://www.ul.ie/architecture/

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Development To Spell The End Of Moore Street Market?

Comments (12 of 12)