Plans for Central Hotel revamp approved, The Globe bar to be transformed into retail space

The transformation of The Globe bar and Rí-Rá nightclub into a retail outlet and "speak-easy" have been given the go-ahead under plans for a new hotel development in Dublin city centre.

An Bord Pleanála recently granted planning permission to Exchequer Developments Ltd for a major expansion of the Central Hotel on South Great George’s Street and Dame Court into a new hotel.

The 6,554 square metre five-storey space would build 125 bedrooms and a rooftop under the latest plans.

In the planned revamp, the Rí-Rá nightclub space is set to become a "speak-easy" while the space occupied by The Globe bar will be turned into a retail outlet.

The existing Library bar is also going to be reduced to help make way for two additional bedrooms.

The city council granted planning permission for the hotel extension last November, with much backlash from Dubliners who decried the lack of nightlife spaces in the capital.

The Globe and The Library Bar on George's Street to make way for..... another hotel.

Planning application available here: https://t.co/4FUbxS6AMq

Observations closing date is 7 August.

Dublin is hemorrhaging nightlife spaces and is fast becoming shit craic.

— Darragh Moriarty (@darragh_mor) July 19, 2020

The scheme was later put on hold after three separate appeals were lodged by Philip O’Reilly, Rodney Senior of the Christian Science Reading Room and Dr Colin Galligan of Medipharm to An Bord Pleanála

Philip O’Reilly commented that the plans to expand the hotel to 125 rooms “defy logic now given the state of the world and future economic and social trends”.

O’Reilly went on to say that “the city is awash with unoccupied hotel rooms and this scenario is not going to change anytime soon”.

The appeals board granted planning after concluding that the proposal would be in accordance with the development plan objective for the site and would not seriously injure the integrity and setting of the protected structure or the visual amenities or architectural character of the Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) within which the site is located.

The decision by the appeals board upholds a recommendation by board inspector, Jane Dennehy to grant planning permission.

The city council planning report of 2020 - which recommended planning permission - admitted that a number of the third party submissions highlighted the loss of night-time activity.

“The proposal retains a night-time use in the basement, retains the Library Bar and provide new night time options on the ground floor,” the report reads, before concluding that:

"The range of uses proposed will ensure a balance between shopping, leisure and cultural, and that non-retail uses will not dominate this section of South Great Georges Street”.