A new office development on Cork city’s north quay has landed ‘the  Apple’ – the Horgan’s Quay/HQ development next to Kent rail station has done a deal on over 36,000 sq ft of offices .

 

Apple is this month closing out a deal for enough space for 350 to 400 additional employees initially, at Horgan’s Quay, in the top three floors of building No 1. The high-spec, energy-efficient building is ready for occupation/fit-out, overlooks the River Lee and is adjacent to the new 120-bed Dean Hotel. Apple, which already employs  6,000 in the city at two other locations.

The Apple deal has options for further space if and when required within the scheme which will have 300,000 sq ft of offices in all, and has planning permission also for 325 apartments, as well as the hotel, retail and new plaza in an evolving public transport hub.

Apple had started 2020 with a discrete inquiry for up to 100,000 sq ft of new Cork offices, but its hunt was curtailed a year ago by the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic virus.

The company then reactivated its additional space requirement for further city offices in recent months but reduced its immediate demand by over 50% to 40,000-50,000 sq ft.

The tech monolith invested €220 million in the past three years extending its Hollyhill campus on the city’s northside, and it also has 55,000 sq ft of city centre offices at Half Moon Street, developed by O’Callaghan Properties in the 2000s.

Apple is now set to land at the eight-story No 1 Horgan’s Quay, a 90,000 sq ft block incorporating a former rail goods building beside the new public realm plaza. Design is by O’Mahony Pike Architects, with Savills and Cushman & Wakefield acting for the developers, and Cushman & Wakefield also acted separately for Apple. Quoted rent level were c €32 per square foot.

BAM/Clarendon’s mixed-use scheme with its 300,000 sq ft of offices is next to the 80%-let 250,000 sq ft Penrose Dock development by JCD Group, which didn’t have enough available space for Apple this year.

 

Source ; www.irishexaminer.com