A building in Dublin 4 is the only office to be approved for social housing conversion

Dublin City Council has granted planning permission for the conversion of a vacant office block in Ringsend into social housing, marking the sole project to advance from a city-wide initiative aimed at repurposing commercial buildings.

The "adaptive reuse" unit, established in 2022 to address dereliction and housing shortages, assessed over 500 properties. Feasibility studies were conducted for 15 potential conversion projects, but only the Fitzwilliam Quay site in Dublin 4 is moving forward.

The 1990s office block, formerly the Dublin headquarters of FleishmanHillard, was purchased by the council for €3.55 million in 2023. The approved plans will transform the building into 15 one-bedroom apartments, each exceeding the minimum size requirement. The development will also feature enhanced insulation, renewable heating systems, and a communal landscaped garden replacing an existing car park. The council emphasized the project's car-free nature.

This conversion aligns with recommendations from the Dublin City Taskforce report, which suggested that reusing vacant commercial buildings could meet up to 40% of Dublin's housing targets. The project is expected to go to tender soon. A new council-owned company, headed by former Department of Health secretary general Robert Watt, will spearhead future city regeneration efforts, including the redevelopment of the "Carlton site" on O'Connell Street.