LDA Partners with Castlethorn to Deliver 562 Homes at Parkgate Street in Dublin's Tallest Building at 102 Metres
The Land Development Agency has announced a landmark partnership with homebuilder Castlethorn to deliver 562 new homes at a site on Parkgate Street in Dublin, anchored by a 30-storey building reaching 102 metres that will become the tallest structure in Ireland — a development that represents a significant step in the LDA's ambition to unlock stalled urban sites and accelerate housing delivery in the capital.
Background
The Parkgate Street site, formerly occupied by the Hickey's Wholesale Fabrics warehouse, sits at a strategically important location near Heuston Station and the Phoenix Park — one of the most accessible points in the city, served by the Luas Red Line, Dublin Bus, and Irish Rail's intercity network. The site has been identified for years as having significant development potential, but its scale and complexity — combined with the broader challenges of the Irish construction market — meant that it remained undeveloped long after the surrounding area had been transformed.
The Land Development Agency, established in 2018 to unlock state and state-adjacent land for housing, has been working to bring the Parkgate Street site forward under its Project Tosaigh initiative, which provides financing to private developers to unlock stalled or underutilised sites. The partnership with Castlethorn — the company's second major collaboration with the LDA, following their joint delivery of 328 units at Woodbrook in Shankill — represents the most ambitious Project Tosaigh scheme to date.
Ireland's housing crisis has been the defining domestic policy challenge of the past decade, with supply consistently failing to keep pace with demand driven by population growth, household formation, and the return of emigrant Irish citizens. Dublin, as the primary destination for both domestic and international migration, has been at the epicentre of the crisis, with house prices and rents reaching levels that have placed homeownership beyond the reach of many working households.
Key Developments
The development will feature four interconnected apartment blocks, with the centrepiece 30-storey building reaching 102 metres — surpassing the current tallest building in Ireland, the Capital Dock tower in Dublin's docklands, which stands at 79 metres. The remaining blocks will range from 10 to 13 storeys, creating a development that will be visible from much of the city centre and that will fundamentally alter the skyline of the Heuston Quarter.
John Paul Construction has been appointed as the lead contractor, with construction scheduled to commence in the weeks following the announcement and a forecast completion date in late 2029. The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately €220 million, making it one of the largest residential construction projects currently under way in Ireland.
All 562 apartments will carry an A-rated Building Energy Rating, reflecting the LDA's commitment to delivering energy-efficient homes that meet the highest environmental standards. The development will also incorporate retail space, communal landscaped courtyards, and roof terraces, creating a mixed-use environment that the LDA hopes will contribute to the regeneration of the broader Heuston Quarter.
Why It Matters
The Parkgate Street development is significant for several reasons beyond its headline-grabbing height. It demonstrates that the LDA's Project Tosaigh model — which has been criticised by some housing advocates as too slow and too dependent on private sector partners — can deliver at scale when the right site and the right partner are aligned. The 562 units represent a meaningful contribution to Dublin's housing supply, even if they are a fraction of what is needed to address the overall deficit.
The development also marks a shift in Dublin's approach to urban density. For much of the past two decades, planning policy in the capital has been characterised by a reluctance to approve tall buildings outside the docklands, driven by concerns about heritage, skyline, and neighbourhood character. The approval of a 30-storey building at Parkgate Street — in a location that is not part of the traditional docklands cluster — signals a more permissive approach to height that, if sustained, could unlock significant additional capacity in the city.
The proximity to Heuston Station and the Luas Red Line is also significant from a transport planning perspective. Concentrating high-density housing at major public transport nodes is a core principle of sustainable urban development, and the Parkgate Street site is as well-connected as any in Dublin.
Local Impact
The development will have a significant impact on the immediate neighbourhood, which includes the Kilmainham and Inchicore areas to the south and the Stoneybatter and Smithfield areas to the north. Residents in these communities have expressed a range of views on the development, with some welcoming the investment and the housing it will deliver and others raising concerns about the impact of a 30-storey building on the character of the area and on traffic and infrastructure.
The LDA has committed to a community liaison process throughout the construction period, and the development's planning permission includes conditions relating to construction hours, traffic management, and the protection of the Phoenix Park's visual setting. The Luas Red Line, which runs along the southern edge of the site, will provide the primary public transport connection for future residents, with Heuston Station offering onward connections to the national rail network.
What's Next
Construction is expected to begin within weeks, with the first phase of groundworks focused on the site's basement and foundations. The LDA has indicated that it will provide regular updates on progress through its website and community liaison channels. The development is the first phase of a larger regeneration masterplan for the Heuston Quarter, developed in collaboration with Córas Iompair Éireann, which owns significant landholdings in the area. Further phases of the masterplan — which could ultimately deliver thousands of additional homes — are expected to be brought forward in the coming years.
