Photonique

PHOTOGRAPHED 25 MARCH 2025

The Bolton Street and Yarnhall Street area of Dublin 1 is undergoing significant redevelopment, largely driven by its proximity to the expanding Grangegorman campus of Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin). This transformation is particularly noticeable in the increasing construction of student accommodation.

A notable development is the construction of a new apartment building at Henrietta Place, located behind 51/52 Bolton Street. This project will create an approximately 860 sq.m building, providing nine apartments across six storeys, including a basement level for storage and services. The ground floor will feature an entrance lobby, bicycle parking, bin storage, an ESB switch room, and vehicle access to a new service courtyard with three parking spaces. The upper floors will comprise a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, culminating in a two-bedroom apartment and a communal roof terrace on the uppermost floor.

Directly opposite Bolton Street College, a substantial redevelopment opportunity exists at 53-55 Bolton Street and 2-3 Yarnhall Street. This 0.27-acre site, zoned Z4 (Key Urban Villages) under the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028, is offered for sale at €2,950,000. It comprises three distinct elements:

53-54 Bolton Street: A two-storey over basement building, constructed in the mid-1980s, with a brick front elevation and approximately 1,248 sq.m of accommodation. It features a 17m frontage to Bolton Street and rear access via Henrietta Place. Currently used as a retail stationery shop with workshop/warehousing and storage, it includes facilities such as staff toilets, a kitchen area, a rear yard loading bay, and a lift.
2-3 Yarnhall Street (Ardiff Mahon Print Works): A historically significant, protected cut-stone building, dating from the late 1920s. Arranged over three floors with a set-back fourth floor, it formerly housed the Ardiff Mahon Print Works. Records indicate “Mahons Printing Works Limited” was established in 1980, but recent information confirms the company has entered liquidation. This building, connected to 54 Bolton Street on multiple floors, is currently unoccupied and requires refurbishment. It has a total accommodation area of approximately 972.7 sq.m. The building is listed on Dublin City Council’s record of protected structures (RPS Ref no. 8664).
55 Bolton Street: A vacant corner site, adjoining the Kings and Ardiff Mahon Print buildings, with frontages of 13m to Bolton Street and 18m to Yarnhall Street, covering approximately 201 sq.m.
The entire site, encompassing approximately 1,096 sq.m, represents a significant development opportunity, situated at the edge of the expanding Grangegorman campus, and amidst the increasing presence of student accommodation. The Ardiff Mahon Print Works building, in particular, offers a unique blend of historical significance and redevelopment potential within this evolving urban landscape.

Late in 2023, Cork-based property investor and developer Clopen Capital secured planning permission from Dublin City Council for a new 90-bedroom hotel at 21-24 Bolton Street, a site formerly occupied by a garage. Located within a short walk of the Henry Street shopping district and O’Connell Street, the new hotel will range in height from four to seven storeys over basement level and extend across a total area of 2,845 sq.m (30,623 sq.ft). The hotel’s guest accommodation will be located from ground- to sixth-floor level and will be complemented by a cafe adjoining the reception area at ground level and a breakfast room facing onto an internal courtyard at basement level.

However, an examination of news articles published after late 2023 reveals a pivotal development concerning the Bolton Street hotel project. While initial reports in October indicated Clopen Capital’s success in securing planning permission, later information highlights a change in ownership. In September 2024, Twinlite, another property development company, announced the acquisition of the hotel site at Bolton Street. This acquisition marked Twinlite’s entry into the hotels sector, signifying a strategic expansion of their development portfolio. Twinlite publicly stated their intention to commence construction on the 90-bedroom hotel in early 2025, with a target opening date in 2026. The legal aspects of this transaction were handled by Byrne Wallace Shields LLP, who acted as advisors to Twinlite during the acquisition process. The involvement of a reputable legal firm underscores the seriousness and completion of the ownership transfer.

Further investigation into Dublin City Council’s planning application website provides critical insights into the current status of the project. A Commencement Notice (reference number CN0125031DC) was filed on January 31, 2025, with Dublin City Council for the erection of the hotel at 21-24 Bolton Street. The applicant for this notice is listed as Stormborn Capital Acquisition One Limited, with an address care of Twinlite at Pepper Canister House in Dublin 2. This strongly suggests that Stormborn Capital Acquisition One Limited is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) established by Twinlite to manage this specific hotel development project. The filing of a Commencement Notice typically precedes the commencement of construction works, indicating that Twinlite was indeed moving towards the implementation phase of the project as initially announced.

However, subsequent information from the Dublin City Council’s planning portal reveals a new planning application (reference number 3049/25) submitted on February 10, 2025, by Stormborn Capital Acquisition Two Limited for amendments to the previously approved planning permission (reference number 3628/23). The proposed amendments involve a change in the bedroom configuration, specifically combining five single and seven double bedrooms into six triple bedrooms. This alteration would result in a reduction in the total number of hotel bedrooms from the originally planned 90 to 84, while maintaining the same total number of bed spaces. The initial planning application (3628/23) was indeed under the name of Clopen Capital, further solidifying the timeline of ownership transfer and subsequent planning activities. The submission of this amendment application likely explains the apparent dormancy of the site. Developers often pause or delay the commencement of significant construction work while awaiting the outcome of planning amendment applications to avoid potential rework and ensure the project aligns with the revised plans. Dublin City Council provides an online planning enquiry service where planning applications received since January 2005 can be searched and viewed. This online resource is crucial for monitoring the progress of planning applications and understanding the regulatory context surrounding development projects in the city.

The filing of a Commencement Notice in late January 2025 initially suggested that construction activity was imminent at the 21-24 Bolton Street site, aligning with Twinlite’s stated plans to begin building in early 2025. However, the subsequent submission of a planning amendment application in February 2025 strongly indicates that full-scale construction is unlikely to have commenced or has been put on hold pending the outcome of this application. It is a common practice in property development to avoid significant on-site work when substantial changes to the approved plans are being sought. Therefore, based on the sequence of the Commencement Notice followed by the planning amendment application, the apparent dormancy of the site is most likely due to the ongoing planning process for the revised hotel design.