Major development planned for Letterkenny town centre

Letterkenny town centre is set to be transformed by a major new development.

The wheels are in motion for the construction of six-storey and four-storey buildings that will include 154 student bedrooms and 13 apartments.

Plans have been lodged with Donegal County Council for one of the biggest developments in some time.

A series of retail units, restaurant, cafe and office space are included with a church – to replace a similar amenity that is in use on the site – are also planned in the heart of Letterkenny.  

The site in question is 0.934 hectares of land, which is bounded by Port Road, Pearse Road, Isle Lane and an existing yard. The land, adjacent to the Station Roundabout, has been zoned for commercial use. 

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Ten-year full planning permission has been sought by M & B Kelly Partnership for the development.

Gleneany House would be demolished to make way for the ambitious new development. The site is owned by the Kelly family, the proprietors of Kelly's Toyota. 

The adjacent Letterkenny Baptist Church, its bookshop, a car rental business and all existing structures on the site would be tossed under the proposed development.

The planned development includes a six-story building fronting onto the Port Road, with office and retail floor space on the ground floor. Office space would be provided on the first and second floors.

Four two-bed apartments are included on the third floor and also on the fourth floor, which will contain a restaurant and cafe.

A restaurant with an external dining terrace and two two-bed apartments are on the fifth floor

A four-storey building, fronting onto Pearse Road would include a Toyota Mobility Centre and a reception area for the proposed student accommodation.

This building would also house 45 student accommodation bedrooms.

A two-storey church, fronting onto Pearse Road, is also proposed, while a four-storey accommodation block would house 99 student accommodation bedrooms.

A second four-story building, fronting onto Isle Lane, consists of a 190 square metre floor area across two retail units; one two-bed and one one-bed apartment on the first floor; and teen student accommodation bedrooms on the top two floors.

The complex would include a public courtyard plaza, at the centre of which the developers plan to locate a coffee pod.  

They are seeking to construct what they call a new 'public realm' to the front, to include landscaping and public lighting.

Ramps and disabled lifts are provided for in the detailed application, which  also includes provision for pedestrian footpaths, 48 parking spaces and bin storage, as well as connections to the sewer network and public water mains.