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A significant section of Dublin’s central retail quarter could be pedestrianised by Christmas 2025 if plans set to be put forward by Dublin City Council win approval.
The council is set to imminently publish its €7.8M plans for a facelift of a section between Grafton Street and Dawson Street, first mooted almost a decade ago.
The move comes at a time when Dublin's retail offer is in a period of significant change, notably with the former Debenhams up for bids.
The outline for the scheme will be published within weeks and from there move to detailed design, expected to take up to 12 months. A two-year construction phase is envisaged, with the project due for completion by December 2025.
A €7.8M budget has been approved for the works, with construction costs accounting for €5.3M, the Irish Times reported.
The aim is to build on the pedestrianisation of the South Anne Street area during the pandemic, with new paving, additional planting, public seating, a reduction in the road width, restrictions on cars, and limits on deliveries.
Following trials in 2020, cars were permanently banned from a number of areas around Grafton Street in May 2021. While most of the areas affected were to the west of Grafton Street, South Anne Street was also pedestrianised.
The council said it cannot fully pedestrianise the other streets in this area, including Duke Street, because of the presence of private car parks. However, it plans to significantly restrict private traffic and prevent daylong deliveries to businesses.
Deliveries in all the streets in the area including South Anne Street, Duke Street, Duke Lane and Anne’s Lane would be permitted from 6am-11am only, the same stipulations applied to fully pedestrianised streets such as Grafton Street.
Access to car parks, including the RIAC car park on Anne’s Lane and a building compound and car parks off Duke Street, will be maintained, except for cars displaying disability blue badges, which will have wider accessibility.
The scheme was originally part of the Grafton Street Quarter Public Realm Plan, published in October 2013, which proposed a €14M investment over three years in the area between Dawson Street and South Great George’s Street.
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