New €18m ‘water activities centre’ planned for Dublin’s docklands

A Dublin docklands building, once part of plans for the construction of a €25 million white-water rafting centre, is to be redeveloped by Dublin City Council as a “water activities centre” at a cost of €18 million.

The former Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) office at Custom House Quay, close to the disused George’s Dock site, will be demolished and replaced by two new buildings one of which will be operated as a water activities centre the council said, with the other serving as new offices for the council’s docklands department.

The activities centre will include a changing room, reception and ticket office, staff amenity area, and equipment storage and will allow the council’s sports and recreation services section to provide “an expanded programme of water-based activities based on the river Liffey, working in close co-operation with the Municipal Rowing Centre at Islandbridge”.

The existing building, constructed in the 1980′s has been largely vacant for several years and is “in fast decline” the council said. “It is no longer fit for habitation and incapable of being remediated at an acceptable cost.”

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The provision of a new water sports facility in the Docklands will provide direct access to water activities on the river Liffey with “a range of programmes targeted at different groups”, with “charges consistent in other City Council sports facilities,” the council said.

The new plan makes no reference to George’s Dock and the controversial white-water rafting scheme, which was axed in 2021.

Under that scheme the activities centre building was to provide a similar support function for white-water rafting complex, which would have included a water polo and kayaking pool, and a Dublin Fire Brigade water-rescue training facility.

Concerns were raised at Monday night’s council meeting that local councillors, who had expressed concerns about the possible reintroduction of the white-water scheme, had been bypassed in the decision making process on the development.

The council’s executive manager Derek Kelly said it was “unlikely” local councillors would make a decision on the new plan. “This would result in the council having to abandon the current procurement process as we would not be able to award a contract,” he said. “This could result in a loss of confidence in the market in relation to council projects in the docklands given that we previously abandoned a tender process for the white-water rafting project.”

Several local councillors including Labour’s Joe Costello and Independent Christy Burke said this was “insulting” to councillors, while Independent Nial Ring said it was “tantamount to blackmail.” Cllr Costello called a vote to defer the decision, but this was defeated by 44 votes to 11.

The council’s assistant chief executive Richard Shakespeare assured councillors “the white-water rafting proposal is dead in the water, pardon the pun”.

The white-water scheme was originally presented to councillors in January 2019 at an expected cost of €12 million. By December of that year, when it was approved by councillors, the cost had risen to €23 million. When the council sought expressions of interest to build the scheme in January 2021, it had hit the €25 million mark. The plans were subsequently abandoned.

The council last year proposed a public lido and emergency services training centre costing for George’s Dock, which it said would cost at least €25 million. However, this is not part of the activities centre proposal which the council said will cost €18m, of which €7m will be provided by the National Transport Authority as part of BusConnects. The council’s portion of the cost will be funded from development levies.