Dublin's Strangest Challenge: Build A 402-Bed Airport Hotel In 10 Months

Philosophers have long wondered what the word "complete" truly means — think about it, and it soon gets complicated.

Now Dublin hotel operators and developers will have an opportunity to explore the complexities as DAA — the Dublin airport operator — challenges them to complete a 402-bed hotel development by March.

DAA are now seeking bids to build, finance and operate a 4-star, €100M hotel next to Terminal 2, after the original bidding process ended in 2016. The new operator has an opportunity to complete the development on the existing planning permission for an 11-storey development — which requires the project to be completed by March — or apply for new permission, the Irish Independent reports.

The first 2016 effort to let the contract failed thanks to the definition of "complete" development, the Irish Independent said. The meaning of complete was unclear, leaving the contractor open to legal problems if the project over-ran.

Hotel development around the airport has encountered problems. In October An Bord Pleanála turned down proposals for an 11-storey development close to the airport and the junction of the M1 and M50 motorways, saying the land was zoned for high-tech employment use.

DAA is currently finalising a masterplan for Dublin Airport which considers the developments needed to allow the airport to grow to enable it to handle 50 million passengers per year by the 2040s. The medium-term focus is on expanding Dublin Airport’s capacity by adding a new runway, additional aircraft parking stands and new boarding gate areas.

DAA will appoint a main contractor for the North Runway project this autumn, with works due to begin in the fourth quarter. Construction is due to be complete in early 2021 and will be followed by a nine-month commissioning phase before the runway opens.