No procurement process for Galway City Council move to Crown Square
From this week's Galway City Tribune - A Fianna Fáil councillor has said she felt “hoodwinked” into voting to facilitate Galway City Council’s move from City Hall to Crown Square – having understood that the existing site would be used for social housing.
Councillors had been briefed by Chief Executive Brendan McGrath that the existing College Road site could see around 230 social and affordable housing units built.
BY DARRAGH Mc DONAGH and DARA BRADLEY
However, two days after a vote was taken by councillors to raise a loan of €45.5 million to purchase an office block on the Crown site, elected representatives were told that the future uses for College Road are ‘open ended’ and may include a library, performance arts centre, or municipal gallery.
Councillors then voted in favour of including a specific objective in the next Galway City Development Plan to undertake an analysis to assess “the best sustainable options for the future of the site” that would “unlock” its potential.
Cllr Imelda Byrne said she felt hoodwinked, because she had voted in favour of raising the loan on the clear understanding that College Road would be used “to promote the development of housing, specifically for those most disadvantaged”.
Meanwhile, the Council also confirmed this week that the purchase of the new building did not go through a public procurement process.
Mr McGrath said the local authority carried out a “full analysis” of the office space that was available in Galway City, and he was “very confident” that the business case to buy the Crown Square site was “up to scratch”.
Following questions from Cllr John Connolly (FF), Mr McGrath did not say why it was not put through a public procurement process but indicated there was not a legal requirement to do so.
(Photo: Crown Square)
This is a shortened preview version of this article. For reports on the full discussions on the move to Crown Square, which took place over two days this week, see the July 15 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.