St Patrick's Athletic's plan to build a new 12,000-seater stadium in Inchicore is just one of three redevelopment options to be considered by Dublin City Council, RTÉ Sport has learned.
The League of Ireland side yesterday announced a proposal for the development of an 'Inchicore Arena' as part of a project that would include new houses, community facilities, a shopping complex and an underground car park.
Their aim is to buy and redevelop the council-owned St Michael's Estate site, just metres across the road from current home Richmond Park.
However, Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan told RTÉ Sport that St Pat’s proposal was "one of a number of plans on the table" for the site.
One of the others is the Land Initiative, which was voted on by Dublin City Council two years ago and is expected to go to tender this month. That involves private development of housing units, 50% of which would be social or affordable.
Another option is a plan for Government-funded construction of social housing, which is expected to be launched later this month. Both of these options would involve the construction of 420 housing units.
Doolan told RTÉ Sport that he, along with party colleagues Greg Kelly and Aengus Ó Snodaigh, met with St Pat's last week to examine their proposals.
"We raised genuine concerns but we are keeping an open mind," said Doolan.
"St Pat's would have to pay full market value for the land and would have to go through a rigorous tendering process before any development could take place.
"That would be a global tender process seeking other developers, because that’s what it is, a private development.
"If the city council agreed that they were going to go down this avenue, the planners would draw up a spec for that land and say 'Our aim is to get 420 units on it, plus a stadium, underground car-park, community facilities, a supermarket and a library' and put it out to tender."
Doolan said that while the club's plan was "a really good proposal", he remained to be convinced whether it was the best option for the area.
"My concern is that we wouldn’t fit 420 units on it or that St Pat’s would take over 75% of that site and the social units we want would be stuck down the back in a smaller footprint.
"We would also have to buy all the units back from St Pat’s. They’re not building them as a charity.
"My preference would be that Dublin City Council would develop that land, funded with public money.
"Pat’s (have) a really good proposal that would give the whole area a lift. It has an economic regeneration dimension to it. But it’s still private."
Doolan added that he expected Richmond Park would be sold to be redeveloped as private apartments if the Richmond Arena came to fruition.
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