Ambitious plans to redevelop Waterford's Great George's Street

Waterford City and County Council is proposing to carry out a large-scale redevelopment of historic city centre buildings, no. 3 and no. 4 Great George’s Street.

This follows An Bord Pleanala's decision last week to grant permission for Waterford City and County Council to acquire a property at 29 Great George’s Street.

The development at numbers 3 and 4 proposes the change of use of both of the former presbytery buildings from residential to office use.

Planned is the addition of a new additional roof-level extension, which includes a glazed facade above the parapet level overlooking Great George’s Street, changes to internal layouts, the demolition of two structures to the rear courtyards, and works to the adjoining public realm on Great George's Street and to Jenkin's Lane car park, to the rear of No’s 3 and 4 Great George’s Street.

Changes will be made to the internal layouts to re-instate the original room proportions and to improve accessibility.

A new roof-level extension is proposed, incorporating meeting rooms, an outdoor viewing space and ancillary plant facilities.

A new staircase and lift will service all floor levels and the western stair core will be extended to provide a secondary means of access.

A new accessible street-level entrance from Great George’s Street is proposed for building users, via No. 4.

Existing rear courtyards will be retained.

The upper garden level will retain its use as a private landscaped space for the building users, with new hard and soft landscaping, seating and planting beds to enhance biodiversity.

The development will provide 11 standard parking bays and one accessible parking bay.

The site is situated within the architectural conservation area of Waterford City, and the National Built Heritage Service describes the pair of buildings as “an important and prominent feature of the streetscape, contributing to the sophisticated and historic character of Great George’s Street”.

The development is currently open for public consultation.