An exciting milestone in the €50million Balbriggan Regeneration project has been reached, with the appointment of a design team to redevelop the De Bruns site.

Fingal County Council has appointed Dublin-based architects McCullough Mulvin to lead the multi-disciplinary Integrated Design Team (IDT) for the transformation of 6a-14 Bridge Street.

The Integrated Design Team model, which employs local stakeholder engagement to progress plans, has already been successfully deployed on other ‘Our Balbriggan’ projects, including the Quay Street and Harbour development and creative hub at 2-4 Dublin Street.

Fingal County Council has proposed that the 10,000 square metre site be used as a mix of commercial, community and residential development, with the River Bracken at its heart.

The plan is to link Millpond Park to a new park entrance at 14 Bridge Street to facilitate a pedestrian and cyclist route down to the transformed Quay Street and Harbour area.

Building facades on Bridge Street are to be maintained to preserve the existing street line as De Bruns is located in an Architectural Conservation Area while the biodiversity, environmental, archaeological and ecological impact of the development will also be keenly assessed. Demolition work has already taken place adjacent to and at the rear of the De Bruns site.

According to Dr David Begg, Chairperson of the Our Balbriggan Leadership Group, the process will be marked by intensive engagement. “There will be significant and intensive consultation and engagement through workshops and meetings with a wide range of local stakeholders,” he said.

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Adrian Henchy, said when complete, the development will provide a new main street experience for Balbriggan. “It will prove a focal point for economic, social and leisure opportunities in the town,” he said.

It is envisaged planning permission for the redevelopment of the De Bruns site will be sought in 2025, with the project completed in 2028.