16,000 new homes could be created in Dublin city centre under proposed renovation plans
Thousands of new homes could be developed from vacant commercial properties and unused spaces above shops across Dublin, according to a new study commissioned by Dublin City Council.
The report estimates that as many as 16,000 homes could potentially be created by repurposing existing buildings within the capital.
Researchers from the Centre for Public Impact and the TransCap Initiative warned that Dublin risks missing its climate action goals if older housing and commercial properties continue to be demolished instead of being refurbished and reused.
Pic: Shutterstock
The report said reusing existing buildings was identified as one of the quickest and most effective ways to support circular development and help meet the council’s climate targets by cutting embodied carbon emissions.
Researchers also said the approach remains significantly underfunded despite its potential impact and estimates that up to 16,000 homes could be developed from vacant commercial properties and unused space above shops across the city.
Researchers said this would make a significant contribution towards Dublin City Council’s target of delivering 40,000 new homes between 2022 and 2028.
Drury Street in Dublin city centre. Pic: Brendain Donnelly/Shutterstock
However, according to The Irish Times, the report found the cost of restoring Dublin’s vacant buildings could be substantial, with estimates suggesting up to €2.86 billion may be needed to return empty properties to use.
Dublin City Council established an adaptive reuse unit in 2022 to tackle dereliction and increase housing supply by redeveloping vacant sites.
Since then, feasibility studies have been conducted for 15 potential conversion projects, and the first three properties have been acquired for a combined €6.35 million.
The report estimated that between €2.14 billion and €2.86 billion would be needed to renovate and repurpose vacant buildings across the city for residential use.
