Dublin City Council hopes to proceed with plans to reimagine Russell Avenue Park in East Wall this year, an official said last week.
At the moment, the circular park has no grass or trees. Tall black railings surround an astroturf pitch.
Beyond the high railings is the East Wall Recreation Centre, and swings and slides surrounded by more barriers and railings.
The council plans to resurface the small playing pitch, plant trees and other greenery, and put in new seating, play equipment, and natural play areas with features made from wood and such.
It also intends to reclad the outside of the recreation centre and add on a pergola, so people can gather under shelter outside, according to a report to the Central Area Committee last week.
In November 2023, the council ran a public consultation. Since, it has abandoned an idea to remove a small astroturf playing pitch after pushback from the local community, who said it is the only public pitch in the area.
Dublin City Council held another public consultation in April.
“I wanted to clarify that we have taken in everybody’s feedback and we have manipulated the plan to facilitate the local community as much as possible,” said Gareth Toolan, senior executive landscape architect with the council. “I think we have captured the mood.”
Daniel Ennis, vice chairman of East Wall Bessborough FC and a Social Democrats local election candidate, said that locals are happy that the pitch is going to be retained.
And the greenery and biodiversity are a welcome shift, he said. “It looks class.”
What to expect?
The council carried out a public consultation meeting in November 2023, which 80 local residents attended and another in April, attended by more than 50 locals, says a report presented to councillors the Central Area Committee meeting last week.
The report to the Central Area Committee shows the barren park renovated with 700 sqm of green space, 16 trees, as well as plants and space for biodiversity.
Photographs in the report of projects in other places illustrated how a small area can be transformed by planting, seating, using wood instead of metal, and creating space for natural play.
The report says that traffic calming measures on the road and natural barriers, like raised planters, could reduce the need for railings around the park.
They will cut down on barriers and railings, says the report.
But Ennis, the Social Democrats election candidate, says the barriers are there for a reason. The playground is the safest place for kids to play in the area, so any changes must retain that safety, he said.
At the council meeting, Sinn Féin Councillor Janice Boylan said that, “In principle, I’d agree with what is in the document, it is quite detailed.” But she also said that parking issues in the area need to be addressed too.
Green Party Councillor Janet Horner said that local residents are excited about the progress on the park. She asked whether zebra crossings could be included to allow people to cross the road to access it easily.
Fine Gael Councillor Ray McAdam said that the council has been working on the plans for four years. “This is a fantastic project,” he says by phone on Tuesday. “I’m delighted we are at the stage where work will start this year.”
How soon?
Independent Councillor Christy Burke asked whether the council would be able to start work this year.
Toolan said the project is exempt from the council’s internal planning process, known as Part 8. That means that the council should be able to start quickly, he said.
McAdam, the Fine Gael councillor, asked for a summary document outlining the plans and the timeline for the project.
He later forwarded that. It says the council will carry out detailed design work over the summer and tender for a builder in August or September.
The builder could start work in September or October of this year, it says, with the works expected to take around 12 weeks.