Sean Dunne: wants to redevelop AIB site in Ballsbridge

Developer Sean Dunne, who has moved with his family to Connecticut in the United States, will discover this Friday if his plan to redevelop the front of AIB Bankcentre in Dublin 4 can go ahead. An Bord Pleanála is due to rule on Dunne's application to demolish the existing buildings on the site and replace them with six new office buildings of between six and seven storeys in height.

The proposal has attracted 15 objections ranging from AIB itself, to clients of insurance group Aviva, heritage group An Taisce and local residents' groups.

AIB's main objection relates to Dunne's legal entitlement to redevelop the airspace above part of the plaza at Bankcentre. Its lawyers A&L Goodbody said that such a development would be contrary to the deed of transfer and Dunne's company Mountbrook Merrion Road Development was therefore not entitled to carry it out. Dunne bought the land in 2006 for a reported €200m as part of a punt on development in Ballsbridge that involved purchasing the former Jurys Ballsbridge, Berkeley Court and the Towers hotels for about €370m.