UCD hunts developers to build apartments for students -- complete with all mod cons
Friday November 27 2009
UCD is appealing to developers to build apartments for student accommodation.
University College Dublin has put out to tender for accommodation which is due to be ready by August 2010.
It is thought this is the first time the university has put out feelers for new accommodation.
Potential sites must be within a 10-minute commute from the college's Belfield Campus.
The type of accommodation required is four or five-bed en suite apartments, within the same development.
The apartments must be available for a period of five years and have a minimum of 110 beds. The move could be seen as an opportunity for developers to sell new properties which they would otherwise struggle to offload.
UCD wants the accommodation to be furnished including a washer-dryer, iron, ironing board and microwave and rent would be negotiated.
The college has a population of almost 22,000, including more than 2,700 international students and has just recently completed construction of new apartment buildings within the Belfield grounds.
In mid-2007, UCD commenced a competitive process for the development of 13.93 hectares of its Belfield campus.
The site, 4km from Dublin city centre, offered the opportunity for a private partner to enter into a concession contract with UCD to design, build, finance, maintain and operate student accommodation, retail, offices, a hotel and complementary campus facilities.
Trinity College has also constructed new apartments on its lands located on Dartry Road between Palmerston Park and Temple Road, providing accommodation for 180 students.
Separately it was revealed today that TCD aims to increase student numbers by 15pc to 18,000 in its 2009-14 plan.
clairemurphy@herald.ie
- Claire Murphy
