4610/22

The proposed development will provide a mixed use commercial development comprising of a hotel (238 no. bedrooms) and an office block delivering a cumulative Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 32,602 sq.m, inclusive of basement area. The proposed development consists of: -Site clearance and localised demolitions to remove part of the podium and Basement Level-1 reinforced concrete slabs at the interface of the proposed hotel and office blocks, together with the incorporation of part of the existing basement level structure extending to approximately 4,228 sq.m (GFA). -The proposed basement will be integrated within the existing basement levels serving the wider HSQ development and will be accessed from the existing vehicular ramped accesses/egresses onto/off St. John's Road West and Military Road to the north and east, respectively. The proposed basement area is split into two areas to provide a dedicated Hotel Basement area of approximately 2,132 sq.m (GFA) and an Office basement area of 2,096 sq.m (GFA) -The construction of a 5-storey hotel (over lower ground and basement levels) to provide 238 no. bedrooms. At basement level provision is made for 24 no. car parking spaces; 2 no. motorcycle spaces together with plant and storage rooms. A waste storage area with dedicated loading bay/ staging area is provided along with dedicated set-down area for deliveries. A dual-purpose service bay is also provided at basement level with modifications to existing line markings to the basement parking area to accommodate the development. At Lower Ground floor level provision is made for 14 no. Bedrooms; Conference Room; Kitchen and Staff facilities and Changing Rooms/ WCs plus ancillary Gym. This floor is arranged around an internal courtyard space. Provision is made at Podium level for 19 no. Bedrooms; Dining Area and Foyer with entrance at the South-Eastern corner of the building onto a new laneway separating the proposed hotel and office building. Provision is made at the south-western corner at podium level for an ESB sub-station/switch room and 15 no Sheffield type bicycle stands are provided for the hotel and the retail/cafe unit, providing storage space for 30 no. bicycles. A total of 205 no. bedrooms are provided at the upper levels (above podium level). The top floor of the hotel (4th floor) has a splayed setback to provide a west facing roof terrace. An ancillary hotel bar (118 sq.m) opens onto this roof terrace. -The construction of a 12-storey (over lower ground and basement levels) office building to the east of the proposed hotel building to provide 19,474 sq.m of office floorspace (GFA) from lower ground floor level and above. Provision is made at basement level for 30 no. car parking spaces; 2 motorcycle spaces and 120 no. bicycle storage spaces together with plant and storage rooms. Provision is made for a further 196 no. bicycle storage spaces at Lower Ground floor level plus changing rooms (including showers). At podium level 2 no. ESB sub-stations and switch rooms are proposed. The foyer and entrance is provided at the southern end of the building at Podium level along with a Retail/Cafe unit of 208 sq.m at the South-Western corner of the building. The building is setback at 4th floor level to provide a west facing roof terrace. Splayed setbacks to the southern and eastern elevations at the 11th floor level forms a roof terrace that wraps around the South-Eastern corner of the building. Plant is provided at rooftop level that is enclosed by curved louvred screens and PV panels. -Works proposed along the St John's Road West frontage include the omission of the existing left-turn filter lane to the vehicular ramped access to the HSQ development and re-configuration of the pedestrian crossing at the existing junction together with the re-configuartion of the existing pedestrian crossing over the westbound lanes of St. John's Road West leading to an existing pedestrian refuge island and re-alignment of the existing foothpath along the site frontage onto St. John's Road West to tie into the reconfigured junction arrangement. -Drainage works proposed include the provision of 2 no. below basement surface water attenuation tanks with dusty/stand-by arrangement pump sumps and associated valve chambers, and 2 no. below basement foul pump sumps with duty/stand-by arrangement and 24hr emergency storage and associated valve chambers. New foul drainage and stormwater drainage connections are proposed to existing foul and storm sewers in St. John's Road West with associated site works. -Hard and soft landscaping works are proposed at lower ground level along St John's Road West and at podium level to provide for the extension and completion of the public plaza to the south of the proposed Office Block and the provision of a new pedestrian laneway connecting St John's Road West with the public plaza at podium level. The application is accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS).