Cork student accommodation site to open at a cost of up to €450 per week

ONE of the country’s largest and ritziest student accommodation developments, Bottleworks in Cork city, is due to open its doors to students next week.

The antithesis of grotty digs, the 19,267 sq m 623-bed purpose-built project involved more than 1,200 people from start to finish and was built by Northern Ireland-based Farrans Construction, Among the challenges was the scale of the project on such a restricted site. 

At just 0.64 hectares, architects Butler Cammoranesi opted to vary the height of the building (six to 10 storeys) to control the mass and scale of the development and to allow light penetrate into the main central courtyard.

 The development has created a new flagship building on Carrigrohane Road, which already has its fair share of landmarks, including nearby County Hall, once the city's tallest building, as well as UCC's new distinctive jenga-style student apartment blocks at the former Crow’s Nest site. Bottleworks is on a site formerly occupied by a Coca Cola bottling plant, which inspired its name.

Bottleworks, which took three years to build and is opening a year behind schedule, is the latest in a slew of new purpose-built student accommodation in Cork city where the third-level student population is circa 38,000, of which about 50% are not from Cork. 

While the office and apartment markets have slumped since the pandemic, the appetite among investors for PBSA appears strong in Cork city. 

In the past two years alone two significant developments have come on stream: €53m 554-bed Ashlin House on Bandon Road, built by Clancy Construction on behalf of asset management firms Round Hill Capital/NBK Capital, and €35m 280-bed Bróga House on Washington Street, which has the same backers at Ashlin House, and was built by John Paul Construction.

Further significant PBSA development is due to get underway in Q2 of next year, also in Victoria Cross, where Bellmount Developments Ltd hope to get on site to start work on schemes that will add almost another 600 student beds to the system. 

Seamus Kelleher, who heads up Bellmount, said work will start as soon as they get planning permission for one remaining scheme (there are three neighbouring schemes of which two have the go-ahead).

“We are waiting for planning to come through on the Finbar Galvin site, which is the middle site,” he said.

Bottleworks is the latest arrival to Victoria Cross and its backers are US investment management firm CA Ventures, who are also involved in a purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) project on Dublin’s Parnell Street, The Artisan, a 200-bed development due to come on stream next year.

However Bottleworks is their first Irish venture (there are others in the UK and Spain) and it’s at the top end of what students studying in the city can avail of. 

While it’s pricier than its competitors (from €240-€450 per week), Gina McMorran, Bottleworks senior VP, sales and marketing , said it’s “much higher spec in terms of amenities and room size”.

Amenities at Bottleworks are not typical of traditional student halls. A sixth floor “dry” bar, with adjoining roof terrace, where students can socialise and bring their own alcohol, has cracking views out over the River Lee and across towards Sunday’s Well;

groovy private dining rooms are available for students to book to mark special occasions with family and friends;

there are “chill” zones and fun zones for karaoke and cinema;

a gaming room with kingsize TV; a gym fitted with Matrix equipment, with built in “rep” counters and timers; a chill-out “library” area; a games room with table tennis, air hockey, arcade machines and a pool table; study spaces; meeting rooms and that all-important student stimulant, barista coffee, available free 24/7, from the breakfast bar.

Bottleworks, fitted out by 74, a leading UK interiors practice, has a funfilled interiors theme. Bold colours and vintage patterns, overlaid by smart technology, dominate the main retro-futuristic communal spaces.

“Design is part of our ethos and we’re really proud of this one,” Ms McMorran said.

Laura Wills, the property manager at Bottleworks, said about 40% of student bookings to date are from students who will attend Munster Technological University. 

The rest of the bookings are from UCC students. To the rear of Bottleworks is a cycle path along the Curraheen River and it’s possible to cycle from the Carrigrohane Road scheme, via cyclepaths, to MTU. Free bikes are available to students through Novel, CA Ventures operating platform.

Ms Wills said the “common reaction” among students who have viewed Bottleworks is that they are “blown away” by the accommodation. 

Neither Ms Wills nor Ms McMorran would disclose whether the building has been fully booked ahead of the next academic year. Of those who have booked, about 60% are international students.

All bedrooms at Bottleworks are ensuite and apartments range from 4-8 bed, with shared living space, The most expensive option is a Luxe studio (32-36 sq m), with prices starting at €450 per week. 

It includes double bed with ensuite bathroom; a kitchen/dining/living area with washer/dryer, dishwasher and a wall mounted Smart TV. The cheapest option is a standard twin studio starting from €240pw. 

Standard en suites in a shared apartment start at €301. The latter are the only rooms available for semester 1 and 2 leases – all other accommodation is available only for 39 or 51 week terms.