Following media reports this morning, Bohemian Football Club would like to clarify the current position in relation to the proposed redevelopment of Dalymount Park, a project which has been progressing since the acquisition of the site in 2015 by Dublin City Council.
There has been no change in the preferred and planned redevelopment of the stadium into a 6,000-seater facility with ancillary community facilities.
Following funding from both the Large Scale Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF) and DCC, the design team, which was appointed in 2021, led by Idom with support by Gilroy and McMahon, has been undertaking works on multiple fronts in preparation for redevelopment.
Indeed, there is currently a contractor on site this week conducting complex ground investigations.
In 2021, thanks to DCC, the physical infrastructure of the stadium changed for the first time in decades with the removal of the roof of Des Kelly Stand, which facilitated the stand’s continued usage.
The tender for the demolition of the Connaught Street Stand, which has been out of use for over a decade, is currently live, and that major structure is due for removal before the end of this year.
All this necessary, costly and detailed work, both physical and otherwise, will feed into the preliminary design, which is due imminently.
This will then feed into the final design to progress to Part 8 Planning subject to cost.
The Board of Bohemian FC has always been aware, as with any project funded by public monies, that should costs escalate to an unsustainable level that there would need to be alternative options on the historic site.
These options could potentially involve redesign and would utilise all studies and works already undertaken and stay within the funding mechanism of LSSIF and DCC as combined sources.
Such a redesign could also deliver a higher capacity facility without the need for a long period out of Dalymount Park where we have played continuously since 1901.
