Construction BUSINESS

Dublin City Council has issued a tender for the redevelopment of St. Michael’s Estate in Inchicore.

The council proposes to engage in a competitive process for the establishment of a Single-Party Framework Agreement for Main Works for the Dublin City Council Housing Development at Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8.

Dublin City Council (DCC) propose to deliver 487 apartments as part of a mixed-used development which will include cost rental and social apartments. The development will include community facilities such as a community hub/library, creche along with associated public realm and a series of new public open spaces to create a vibrant new neighbourhood in Inchicore. 

One of the key aims of the project is to deliver a cost-efficient scheme, along with maintaining quality. The planning application also includes Block C which contains retail units, supermarkets and 91 residential units above. This will be designed and constructed by a Third Party Developer and will fall outside of the scope of this project in terms of delivery. However, any integration with Block C will need to be considered during the construction works for the rest of the development.

This competition relates to the establishment of a single-party framework with one Economic Operator. Thereafter the Economic Operator is entitled to be considered for all contracts within the scope of the framework.

The maximum duration of the framework agreement will be four (4) years subject to satisfactory annual review of performance. The estimated total value of purchases pursuant to the framework agreement is in the region of €400,000,000 (excl. VAT) over the lifetime of the agreement. It is emphasised, however, that this figure is provided strictly for indicative purposes only as there is no guaranteed expenditure under the framework agreement.

The Main contractor will be required to cooperate, liaise with and/or lead other third-party service providers, appointed by the Contracting Authority.

The project site is located in Inchicore, Dublin 8 and measures c. 4.68 hectares. The site currently comprises a mixture of brownfield areas which previously housed the St. Michaels Estate development which is now demolished and existing social and community facilities which to be demolished or retained.

The development is to be completed in a phased manner. The project will aim to deliver 487 residential cost-rental and social units along with the identified communal and amenity space required to DCC design standards. The social units have been pepper-potted throughout the development, with duplexes planned in the centre of the development.

Creche and café units will be delivered to a grey shell scope with fit out by others post PC. Library building will be delivered to a defined white box without scope which will be outlined in the tender documents.

A competitive negotiated procedure novated D&B route strategy is being developed for the main residential development including the library building. A Suitability Assessment Questionnaire- (SAQ) will be issued to determine the experience, capacity and financial standing to carry out work for a project of this scale. The current design team and their remaining fees will be novated under the main contractor. There will be technical advisors appointed by the client to carry out independent reviews of the construction works.

The council (then Dublin Corporation) announced plans for the redevelopment of the St Michael’s Estate in 2001. The Emmet Road (formerly St. Michael’s Estate) site was to be developed in 2007 as part of a public-private partnership, which subsequently fell through. 

It was the third site proposed in 2017 to be developed under another public-private partnership model devised by Dublin City Council under the Housing Land Initiative, along with Oscar Traynor Road and O’Devaney Gardens.  That procurement was cancelled for the Emmet Road development by the council in 2018 which sought to pursue a publicly funded model supported by the European Investment Bank.

The deadline for receipt of tenders for the Dublin City Council Single Party Framework Agreement for the execution of Main Works for the Dublin City Council Housing Development at Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8 is 17 October 2024.