Newmarket Square and Tenter’s sees surge of redevelopment

Newmarket square and the Tenters has seen a surge in planning applications as of late.

The Newmarket area is set for 92 residential units, a hotel of nearly 8,000 square metres, a student complex of 349 beds, just over 18,000 square metres of office space, a microbrewery, restaurants bars and cafes on 4 different sites surrounding the square.

Of the 92 residential units, 15 are one bedroom apartments, 55 are two bedroom apartments and 14 are three bedroom apartments.

The applications fall in the triangle of space that stretches from St. Patrick’s Cathedral to the crossroads at St. Luke’s Avenue and Ardee Street to the Donovan’s lane and Clanbrassil Street T junction.

The area is just over 34 acres.  

Two hotels, a massive student complex on the south side of Mill Street and an extension of 10 apartments on site, 26 to 29 New South Row, are under construction in the same 34 acres.

“I put in an objection to part of the Newmarket square development … specifically I objected to the hotel. If another hotel is required in the area is questionable, given the number of hotels that are being built,” said local Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Mullooly.

Photo by Dan Grennan

However, Mullooly added: “There are a phenomenal number of people coming to the Guinness Storehouse and it has been the case that there is very little accommodation in the area but there are several hotel developments in development and planning stages throughout the area,” he added.

“There is a need for the economic development of the area and hotels would promote and have tourists staying in the area. That would benefit the area and create jobs.”

Local councillor Tina McVeigh said, “we have an over-concentration of student accommodation in the Dublin 8 area anyway and in that specific part of Dublin 8 in particular. I would like to see more balance to the proposed development in favour of the family side.

“Generally I welcome the development. My sense of it is that the developer in charge of the project has always had a great way of promoting the market feel of a place,” McVeigh added.

Newmarket is home to the Dublin Food Co-op and the Green Door Market.

McVeigh noted that the developer has said “that any of the markets that want to stay in the square will be facilitated. The remains to be seen. I am open to believe in that.”