First Look: Major new development proposed for Letterkenny

written by Staff Writer December 1, 2022

Plans are in place to transform a vacant site in Letterkenny with a major new development.

The former Gleneany House building could be demolished to make way for a large residential and business development under plans lodged by the M & B Kelly Partnership.

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The development at the corner of the Port Road/Pearse Road is expected to include a range of buildings providing student accommodation, retail space, a restaurant, office, residential units and a new Baptist church. The current church building and other existing premises on the .934 hectares site would be demolished to make way for the project.

William Donoghue & Associates Ltd has been appointed by M & B Kelly Partnership to design the proposed 240,000sqft scheme.

The firm says proposal has been designed in accordance with the vision for Letterkenny as outlined in the Letterkenny 2040 masterplan.

View of proposed development from Pearse Road.

“This development site is an important part of this vision, and its location presents an opportunity to spearhead this visionary & exciting development,” said a statement from William Donoghue & Associates Ltd.

“This proposal will provide essential high quality architecturally designed student accommodation, which at the moment is at critically low levels in the town.”

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Outside, the proposed development will have an “attractive plaza” of durable paving, benches, concrete cubes of varying sizes for seating, suitable lighting, and trees located directly adjacent to Station Roundabout.

Gleneany House is currently vacant

Developers say this scheme will provide a significant economic boost to the town of Letterkenny both during the construction phase and when the scheme is operational.

The development will sit adjacent to the new Alpha and Beta Business, Enterprise and Innovation Centres to be constructed on the site of the former ESB yard between the Port Road and Pearse Road.

Cllr Donal ‘Mandy’ Kelly, Mayor of Letterkenny Milford Municipal District, told Donegal Daily that the development is a vote of confidence for the future of Letterkenny.

Cllr Kelly said: “Although this planning application is at the early stages it’s also very exciting time for Letterkenny Town as a whole to see an application of this calibre with so much detail of much-needed infrastructure is absolutely fantastic. Along with our Regeneration program for Letterkenny this application by Brendan and Martin Kelly can only help get Letterkenny to where and how we want it to be.

“We often talk about getting Letterkenny into a City status and we recently took a step in the right direction to do so when the LYIT became a University the now ATU and to now see this application submitted for planning is a massive step forward for Letterkenny Town.

Cllr Kelly continued: “I know this application will have to run through the planning procedure like every other application but this in my opinion along with all other plans has just provided a big statement of very exciting times ahead for the people and the business of Letterkenny and the county for that matter which will help with the student accommodation crisis and also provide a lot of employment.

“The Kelly family have always been good to Letterkenny all down the years and I wish them well in this venture and if I can be of any help in any way I’ll certainly do my best,” he said.

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