Plans to build a seven-storey development for mainly student accommodation on Seamus Quirke Road, County Galway have been filed with An Bord Pleanala. The proposed project will replace the 100 estimated car parking spaces currently on this site.
Ciaran McIntyre of Elkstone Real Estate, who purchased the site in February 2020, plans to provide a total of 240 student beds. The bedrooms will be grouped into 32 clusters of various sizes, each sharing a communal space that will provide a living, dining and kitchen area.
Residents will have access to additional amenity spaces, sports facilities and on-site bicycle and motorcycle parking. The bedrooms will be available for short-term let during student holiday periods.
In addition to the residential units, the seven-storey block will accommodate a cafe unit with an ancillary takeaway at ground-floor level. The proposed site will provide public open space, which includes a public plaza along the eastern boundary as well as rooftop gardens.
The developers plan to relocate the pedestrian access route in the car park from Seamus Quirke Road to the Westside Shopping Centre. The existing car park will be reorganised, incorporating the removal of 94 existing car parking spaces to leave a total of 238 remaining car parking spaces in the neighbouring shopping centre.
CGI consultants, 3D Design Bureau, were involved early in the design stage to produce 3D Planning solutions, architectural CGIs, verified view montages, and a BRE Daylight and Sunlight Analysis.