Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Shuttered Jesuit Hatch Hall In Ireland Eyed For Refugee Housing

Former Corrib Great Southern Hotel to house 250 asylum seekers
by Una Sinnott
Plans are under way to develop a residential centre for asylum seekers at the Corrib Heights Hotel (formerly the Corrib Great Southern Hotel) on the Dublin Road, the Galway Advertiser has learned. It is understood that East Coast Catering, a company which already operates three residential centres in Dublin and Dundalk, has approached the Department of Justice, Equality, and Law Reform about the proposal. One of the Dublin centres — located in the former Jesuit-owned university hall Hatch Hall — is owned by Edward Holdings, owner of the Corrib Heights site. If approved, the centre at Corrib Heights would cater for up to 250 people and would be one of the best equipped centres in the country. The hotel — formerly the Corrib Great Southern — is a four-star facility which currently includes a leisure centre, swimming pool, three bars, a restaurant, business centre, and five conference rooms. An auction of the entire contents of the hotel — offered in more than 1,500 lots and featuring everything from the cutlery to the bar counters — had been due to take place this morning (Thursday), but auction company Pro Auction announced this week that the event has been cancelled. It is unclear if there are any plans to redevelop the seven-acre site which, despite housing the landmark hotel for more than two decades, is currently zoned for residential use. However it is understood a change of use from hotel to residential centre would not require planning permission. The hotel closed for business in September, a year after Edward Holdings bought the facility. Original article (here)

No comments: