The rear of the Ard Rí hotel, a once thriving building now reduced to a sorry, vandalised state. | Photo: Shane O’Neill/Aspect Photography
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The owner of the Ard Rí hotel site remains angered by Waterford City Council and Kilkenny County Council’s shooting down of a €400 million development that its planners rejected last year.
The Munster Express understands that TRM Developments, headed by property developer Tom Coughlan, remains committed to developing the site.
“We have already spent over €2 million and invested considerable time into the development of the site,” according to a TRM source.
“We hired the best architects available whom we believe came up with a fabulous design and what did we get in return? A one-line refusal. It’s the kind of thing that could only happen in this country.”
Barring its demolition, which could cost as much as €500,000, a fundamental alteration of the site is unlikely to be achieved between now and the visit of the Tall Ships to Waterford in July 2011.
The TRM source acknowledged that the security of the site has been repeatedly and regrettably breached.
“If someone wants to get in, they’re going to find a way,” the source added. “But we’re going to board up as much of the site as we can in the hope that it will curb some of what has taken place in recent months.”
See The Munster Express newspaper for full story.
