Major Letterkenny development a 'statement of exciting times'

A major new development that will include 154 student bedrooms and a raft of new business units and offices has been hailed 'statement of exciting times' for Letterkenny.

The Mayor of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District, Councillor Donal Kelly, says the massive development, of six-story, four-story and two-storey buildings on a site just off the Station Roundabout could help move Letterkenny towards city status.

Plans for the construction of the 240,000 square foot scheme have been lodged with Donegal County Council by M & B Kelly Partnership.

Gleneany House, the existing Baptist Church and other buildings on the site will be demolished to make way for the new development, which will include the provision of a new Church.

Major development planned for Letterkenny town centre

Plans for a new complex will see the construction of six-story, four-story and two-storey buildings that will include 154 student bedrooms, 13 apartments, a restaurant and a church

“Although this planning application is at the early stages, it is also a very exciting time for Letterkenny town as a whole to see an application of this calibre with so much detail of much-needed infrastructure,” Councillor Kelly told Donegal Live.

“It is absolutely fantastic. Along with our Regeneration programme for Letterkenny, this application by Brendan and Martin Kelly can only help get Letterkenny to where and how we want it.

“We often talk about getting Letterkenny into a city status and we recently took a step in the right direction when the LYIT became a University, the now ATU.

“To now see this application submitted for planning is a massive step forward for Letterkenny Town.

“This has just provided a big statement of very exciting times ahead for the people and the businesses of Letterkenny and the county for that matter.

“This will help with the student accommodation crisis and also provide a lot of employment.”

William Donogue & Associates Ltd were appointed as designers. They say that the development will be a 'significant economic boost to the town both in the construction phase and when the scheme is operational'.

The firm say that the development is 'an exciting, contemporary, high-quality, mixed use development that contributes to the local environment' and the plans have been put together in accordance with the Letterkenny 2040 masterplan.

“This development site is an important part of the vision and its location presents an opportunity to spearhead this visionary and exciting development,” they say.

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

“In addition to the student accommodation, the proposed development will also provide retail, restaurant, office, residential and a new Baptist Church, providing diverse mix of uses.

The project will include the construction of 154 student bedrooms, 13 apartments and a raft of office spaces and retail units.

The development will front onto Port Road, Pearse Road and Isle Lane.

William Donogue & Associates Ltd added: “This currently underutilised and unused space will be utilised to create an attractive plaza that will be used by the public and will encourage pedestrian linkage from Tesco shopping centre to the Pearse Road and the proposed Wetlands Park as envisaged in the Letterkenny 2040 Masterplan.”