Plan to demolish landmark hotel

CITY developer and businessman Gerry Barrett is planning to demolish the landmark Corrib Great Southern Hotel to make way for an educational facility, with the possibility of a Park and Ride scheme in the short-term.Mr Barrett – who is considered to be among the premier league of developers in Ireland – is seeking permission to demolish the Corrib Heights Hotel (formerly the Great Southern) on the DublinRoad.It is known that the developer is keen on developing a joint educational facility of the site with Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.Through a company called MD Merlin Developments, Mr Barrett plans to redevelop the 6.5 acre site, although it is believed the site could be lying dormant for up to five years because of the planning process and the fact that a new City Development Plan is currently being prepared. The planning application is expected to be lodged at City Hall within the next week.In the meantime, a spokesperson for Edward Holdings, Mr Barrett’s umbrella company, told the Galway City Tribune that the company is open to proposals for a Park and Ride facility.