Cork developer OBF Property Investment Group, led by Donal O'Brien, is converting the upper three floors of the former Bank of Ireland building on Bridge Street into 12 one- and two-bedroom apartments, bringing a long-vacant city centre property back into residential use. Cork Beo reported that the conversion is now under way, with scaffolding visible at the Bridge Street property.

Cork Beo noted that Cork City Council granted planning permission in 2021 for the scheme, which also includes a restaurant at ground floor level and the change of use of the upper floors from offices to residential accommodation.

The Bank of Ireland branch closed in 2013 as part of a wider restructuring of the bank's branch network, leaving the upper floors vacant for over a decade, with only a brief period of commercial use in one of the upper offices.

The Bridge Street location places the apartments within walking distance of Patrick's Street and adjacent to MacCurtain Street, which has undergone a significant public realm revamp in recent years and attracted a growing number of hospitality and food and beverage businesses.

The project is one of several residential developments advancing across the Cork area. Plans have been lodged for a large-scale residential scheme at the former Dell site in Ballincollig, and a separate application has been submitted for 229 new homes in Carrigaline as demand for housing in Cork's largest town continues to grow.

The Bridge Street conversion reflects a broader trend of adaptive reuse of vacant commercial and former financial properties in Irish city centres, as developers respond to sustained housing demand and planning policy encouraging the activation of derelict and underutilised buildings.

See the full report on the Bridge Street apartment conversion.