BOHEMIAN FC HAVE asked Tesco to “take account of reality” and not to jeopardise the Phibsborough regeneration project.
The SSE Airtricity League Premier Division side were responding to a report in Tuesday’s Irish Times which says that the supermarket are in dispute with developer MM Capital over the redevelopment of Phibsborough shopping centre.
While the “impasse” will not impact on plans for the redevelopment of Dalymount Park into a 6,000-seater stadium by 2023, the club insist opposition to the project will be a blow for the local community.
There had been plans to transform Phibsborough shopping centre, built in the 1960s, into a civic space linking Phibsborough Road to North Circular Road – including the development of student accommodation and an increase in retail space.
“Dublin City Council’s identified preferred conceptual redesign of Dalymount Park included a main entrance and civic space via lands owned by MM Capital (Phibsborough Shopping Centre),” the club said this morning in a statement.
We have had continuous positive engagement with MM Capital since 2015 around the integrated design of the adjoining sites.
“As reported today, a rights-of-way dispute between Tesco and MM Capital puts the redevelopment of the shopping centre at risk.
Bohemian FC was fully aware of this potential impasse and it was communicated to club members and discussed at our recent AGM.
“We call on the parties involved to work together to resolve their differences to allow for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver an integrated design of Phibsborough Village Centre.
If this impasse persists, it would not prevent the redevelopment of Dalymount Park. It would, however, obviously necessitate a change to the conceptual design presented thus far.
“But as the final design team are yet to be appointed, this would be factored into the council’s plans.
We believe that the main fallout from a possible non-integrated development would be the obvious loss to the local community.
“We have worked closely with resident groups to ensure the conceptual design was one that delivered for both football and the local community.
“While this impasse would not prevent the redevelopment of Dalymount Park, it would however result in a final design that could not fully grasp the opportunity for both sites to provide the maximum social return to the local community.
We call on Tesco to take account of this reality.”
The supermarket claim the redevelopment of the area will make an impact on deliveries to the store. The Irish Times reports that Tesco owns two rights-of-way on the site, and without its consent, the development cannot proceed.
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