City Hall, Galway
| City Hall, Galway | |
|---|---|
Halla na Cathrach, Gaillimh | |
  City Hall Location within County Galway | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Modern style |
| Town or city | Crown Square, Galway |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°17′14″N 9°01′18″W / 53.2871°N 9.0218°W |
| Completed | 2024 |
| Cost | €56 million |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Henry J. Lyons |
| Main contractor | J. J. Rhatigan |
City Hall (Irish: Halla na Cathrach, Gaillimh) is a municipal facility being fitted out at Crown Square in Galway, Ireland. It is scheduled to become the administrative centre of Galway City Council in 2024.
History
[edit]The original municipal building in the city was the Tholsel which was built about 1639.[1] This was replaced by Galway Town Hall in Courthouse Square which was completed in 1825.[2] After it was reformed in 1937, Galway Corporation was mostly based at offices in Dominick Street and Fishmarket.[3] It moved to modern offices at College Lane in Galway in 1991.[4]
In May 2005, the American company, Crown Equipment Corporation, decided to relocate its operations from Mervue Business Park on the east side of Galway to Suzhou in China.[5] The site subsequently became the subject of a major reclamation and redevelopment project known as Crown Square. The new buildings on the site were designed by Henry J. Lyons in the Modern style, built by J. J. Rhatigan in steel and glass and were completed in 2022.[6][7][8]
In September 2022, the council, having decided that it needed larger premises, announced that it would acquire one of the completed buildings for its new City Hall.[9][10] The acquisition of the building was completed at a cost of €44 million in December 2022.[11][12][13] The cost of the acquisition was financed by a loan from the Housing Finance Agency. The council also confirmed that it would let a fit-out contract, which could cost a further €12 million, with a view to relocating to the new premises in 2024.[14]
It was revealed, in July 2024, that the total cost, including fit-out, could increase from €56 million to €75 million.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Tholsel, Galway". Archiseek. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Town Hall Theatre, Courthouse Square, Court Avenue, Townparks". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "The Navigation Lough Corrib Navigation Trustees". Inland Waterways Association of Ireland. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ Spellissy, Sean (1999). The history of Galway. Celtic Bookshop. p. 63. ISBN 978-0953468331.
- ^ "Galway loses 150 jobs to China". The Irish Times. 24 May 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Crown Square, Galway". J. J. Rhatigan. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Crown Square, Galway". 3D Design Bureau. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "250 construction jobs created as Crown Square gets green light". Connacht Tribune. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Galway City Council ploughs ahead with Crown Square move". Connacht Tribune. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Galway City councillors slammed over 'hasty' approval of Crown Square move". Connacht Tribune. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Galway City Council acquires new building in Mervue that will serve as the new civic headquarters". Galway Bay FM. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Galway City Council signs contract for new HQ building". Galway Daily. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Crown Square move on the cards 16 months before councillors were told". Connacht Tribune. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "City Hall move to Crown Square is a year behind schedule". Connacht Tribune. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Concern grows at €75 million". Galway Advertiser. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Claims city council move to Crown Square in Mervue could cost over €30 million more than expected". Galway Bay FM. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.