Diageo has moved a step further with its plan to redevelop part of its St James’s Gate site, with the appointment of developer Ballymore as its partner in the project.

The plan for a ‘Guinness Quarter’ will involve 12.6 acres of the site, and the company says it plans to “preserve the heritage assets and create an inspiring urban neighbourhood that will open up the historic St James’s Gate site to the people of Dublin".

One element of the scheme is that the new quarter will be 'zero carbon', an objective that Diageo claims will be achieved partially by reusing some of the existing buildings and examining all available renewable energy sources and how zero energy ratings can be met.

The Diageo vision is for a “a seamless union of residential living, community, entrepreneurship, creativity, sustainability, commerce, culture and generous new public space". The company believes the development will act as a catalyst for the further regeneration of the wider Liberties area.

Managing director Oliver Loomes said: “St. James’s Gate is a unique and extraordinary place. We are committed to a long-term sustainable future for the site and are delighted to be moving closer to our vision of opening streets, creating spaces and generating opportunity in the Guinness Quarter. 

In Association with

“As we move into the next chapter of this 261-year-old brewery, we are very excited about the possibilities of creating a quarter that will form part of the fabric of the city for generations to come. Since our announcement in 2017 we have been committed to doing it right, and know that Ballymore share our vision for the future of the site. 

“We look forward to partnering with them on this exciting project. Our ambition is also to work with the Iveagh Trust, one of Dublin’s largest social housing providers, as a partner in this project.”

Ballymore has experience of major urban renewal projects in established and historic cityscapes, including Old Spitalfields Market in the City of London.

The next steps in the process will see the two partners flesh out the parameters of the scheme before moving to  apply for planning approval. At that stage, the amount of social housing in the plan will be intensely scrutinised by socialist city councillors,

Photo: Oliver Loomes (left) and Ballymore's Sean Mulryan. (Pix: Naoise Culhane)