Home Is Where The Retail Unit & Office Spaces Are

What a house!

n a move that won’t shock too many people in Greystones, but will disappoint many, the 152-year-old main street house Mount View is about to go from a family home to housing offices and a retail unit.

Future shock

Having been sold at auction back in May, Mount View has been in the Egan and Stevenson family for over 100 years, having originally been the home of merchant Alexander Evans after it was built in 1864.

Back in May, we spoke with Keith Egan, one of the three remaining kids who’d grown up in this magnificent house, and he filled us in on Mount View’s colourful history as he gave us the grand tour. Later that month, the house was sold, and the speculation began as to what might become of it.

And now we know.

A planning application is now up on the gate pillar, With O’Connor Whelan Limited applying for development at the site that will consist of: the demolition of a single storey rear extension (29 sq m) and the development of a new two storey extension in its place (54 sq m) to accomodate ancillary retail use at ground level (27 sq m) and office at first floor (27 sq m); the change of use of the existing dwelling to a retail unit at ground floor (93 sq m), and an office at first floor (91 sq m); a two storey extension to the south of the building with an entrance lobby (21 sq m), staff facilities (22 sq m) and a retail unit (116 sq m) at ground floor and lobby (13 sq m), WC (4.5 sq m) and an office (116 sq m) at first  floor; a single storey detached bin store (8 sq m); elevational alterations to the southern and western facade of the existing dwelling; 12 no. bicycle parking spaces; all associated boundary treatment and site development works.

Which, begorrah, sounds pretty expansive. And expensive.

The planning application goes on to say that ‘a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application’ – just in case you wanted to go down that route.

If we hear anything from O’Connor or Whelan about their cunning plans for this landmark house, we’ll let you know…