Former Embassy To Be Converted Into 100K SF Dublin Office Scheme
In a boost to Dublin’s moribund office development sector, Gresham House is to start construction at the Carrisbrook House site in Ballsbridge just as a new U.S. Embassy project gets underway nearby.
Carrisbrook House, which sits at the junction of Pembroke Road and Northumberland Road and was home to the Israeli Embassy, was acquired with vacant possession through a fund sponsored by Orion Capital Managers in 2021.
Demolition work on the site is due to begin, coinciding with the demolition of the former Jurys Hotel across the road, which is coming down to make way for the development of the new U.S. Embassy.
Late last year, the U.S. government confirmed that it planned to spend nearly $700M acquiring the Jurys site in Ballsbridge, Dublin. The U.S. State Department notified Congress it intends to buy the site for about $171M, demolish it and construct new embassy buildings.
New development on the old Jurys site would include the embassy, a residence for U.S. Marine guards, support facilities and parking, the notice to Congress says. Although it did not provide an estimate for when the project would be completed, U.S. officials estimated there would be 189 employees at the new embassy by 2028.
Meanwhile, the Carrisbrook House redevelopment will replace an existing 30K SF structure with a 10-storey, 100K SF office building with a capacity of around 650 people. The building will be renamed One Pembroke, according to Gresham House. It will be designed to “meet the highest sustainability standards” and is expected to meet a LEED Platinum rating on completion.
The ground floor will include a café on the Pembroke Road side. Future occupiers will also have access to several terraces and views across Dublin.
Gresham House, formerly Burlington Real Estate, is the development manager for the project. The design and construction team includes architect RKD, John Spain Associates as planning consultant, structural engineer Barrett Mahony and Homan O’Brien as mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer. HWBC/Knight Frank will act as the leasing agents.
“There has been a dearth of new commercial developments commencing in Dublin in recent years and we believe that there will be strong demand for new office space when we complete the project in late 2026, early 2027,” Gresham House Managing Director of Real Estate John Bruder said in a statement.
