Academy Square plans lodged... Could the end be in sight for one of Navan's longest lasting eyesores?

Plans for a ten-storey mixed-use building at the Academy Square Development, which has remained unfinished for more than a decade have been submitted to Meath County Council.

The development, on the former Crannac Furniture site on the junction of Academy Street and the Dublin Road, still has scaffolding along the south side of the building and was often described as an eye-sore on the Dublin Road approach to the town.

Now plans for a ten-storey building to include two retail/commercial units and a mix of independent living units and apartments are proposed for the 0.18 hectares site.

Academy Point Group is now seeking permission for a mixed-use development adjacent to south and south-east of the existing Academy Square development.

The plans include a 10-storey building over a basement level made up of two retail commercial units 24 one and two bedroom independent living units and 43 one and two bedroom apartments.

The basement level provides 65 car parking spaces including three disabled parking spaces and 18 electric vehicle parking spaces.

Two retail/commercial units are provided on the ground floor of 184sqm and 139sqm, and ESB substation (to be relocated from its existing location at western boundary of the site), switch room, two bin storage areas and one bicycle store area to include 90 bicycle parking spaces.

The ground and first floor of the building also provide for seven ancillary services and facilities rooms associated with the proposed independent living units.

The first, second and third floors of the building consist 11 one bed units and 13 two bed independent living units, including communal open space at the first floor of 74 sqm and two communal rooms at the second floor of 57 sqm each. Plans for the fourth to ninth floors of the building consists of 24 one-bed units and 19 two-bed units with communal open space provided at the ninth floor.

The proposed development includes for the demolition of existing structures on site. Vehicle access to the proposed basement will be from the existing vehicular access point on Academy Street to the north-west of the site, through the existing Academy Square development.

The development also includes communal open spaces, solar panels, green roofs, bicycle parking, and all associated site development works above and below ground.