There are plans to redevelop the land between the Guinness Storehouse and Thomas Street in the Liberties into a brand new neighbourhood called the Guinness Quarter and it sounds fantastic. These plans have been proposed by property development company Ballymore and alcohol company Diageo and they will completely transform the disused area.
Right now, tourists come to visit the Guinness Storehouse but there’s not much else to see on that block. However, in the future visitors will hopefully see houses, businesses and even a huge food market when they come to the Guinness Quarter.
It aims to be Dublin’s first zero carbon district, incorporating greenery and large public spaces where people can enjoy being outdoors in the company of neighbours. It will be new, forward thinking and exciting but respect will be paid to the original features of the buildings.
For example, St. James’ Gate, with its iconic Guinness sign, will be kept and remain in its original location. It will serve as one of the entrances to the Guinness Quarter alongside two new entrances on Crane Street and Rainsford Street.
Just as Capel Street and South William Street are now prioritising pedestrians, the new Guinness Quarter will do the same. 2,000 bicycle parking spaces will sit at the heart of the development and the plan is to really marry the neighbourhood with the rest of the Liberties area, which was recently voted one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world.
336 homes of varying sizes will be built according to the plan, 20% of which will be social housing, alongside business spaces of different sizes and office buildings. However, the most exciting part of the plan is definitely the marketplace, where visitors will be able to enjoy street food and produce from both local and international sources.
The application for planning permission was only submitted to Dublin City Council a couple of days ago so the exact date on which building will start isn’t known yet. However, the Liberties could be about to get even more exciting and vibrant in future years and we can’t wait!