New primary school for city
A 24-classroom multi-storey national school is to be built in Cork as part of the Department of Education’s Design and Build framework.
The new 4,635 metre square school will be named Douglas Rochestown ETNS and will be developed at Carrs Hill in Douglas.
It will include a three-classroom unit for children with special educational needs and will be serviced by a specially-built access road off the Carrigaline Road.
The project also includes site-specific solutions such as rainwater harvesting, surface water attenuation and photovoltaic panels, and will feature a set-down area and 47 car parking spaces.
The contract for the new school was awarded to BAM Ireland as part of a Department of Education’s Design and Build Framework Schools Bundle in a joint venture with Glasgiven Contracts.
BAM has delivered twelve schools through the Irish Schools PPP Programme in recent years both on schedule and on budget.
These projects consisted of the design, build, finance, and maintenance of all schools, spread across eleven sites providing approximately 8,850 pupil spaces, at a total capital value of €175m.
Douglas Rochestown ETNS is one of four new national schools to be developed by BAM with the other three to be built in Ballinteer, Cherrywood and Knocklyon in Dublin.
Welcoming the commencement of work on the four sites, Minister for Education Norma Foley TD said: “This announcement will provide a timely boost for the parents and the wider local communities in these areas in Cork and Dublin and will continue to serve and educate young people for years to come. I am particularly interested in the innovative and environmentally sustainable aspects of the construction of these four National schools.”
Commenting on the contract, BAM CEO Theo Cullinane said: “At BAM, our goal is to build a sustainable tomorrow and the provision of state-of-the-art educational facilities is a huge part of that. These buildings will be constructed using the most sustainable materials and techniques available to us.”
He added: “With better classrooms and equipment, including high-spec units for children with special educational needs, this will enhance the learning experience for our young people while enabling teachers to provide the best possible education for students.”
Glasgiven Company Director Liam Murphy added: “We are looking forward to providing high-quality schools to educate the next generation of students. These schools will hopefully play a transformative role in the areas which they are situated and have a long-lasting impact on the lives of the surrounding communities.”