Work on €38m secondary school in Edenderry could start this year
It's hoped construction work on the new 1,000-pupil building for Oaklands Community College in Edenderry will get underway in December of this year, with the new school campus expected to take 30 months to build.
It means that, if all goes according to plan, the long-awaited new secondary school would be completed around May of 2028.
The timeframe was outlined in tender documents issued on behalf of Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) for the construction contract at the school, which caries an estimated value of €38 million excluding VAT.
Last August, Offaly County Council granted planning approval for the new school building which is to be built on a 4.62 hectare brownfield site at Fr McWey Street, Downshire, to the north of Edenderry town centre and close to the Edenderry Shopping Centre where Dunnes Stores in the anchor tenant.
The site is currently occupied by the partially-constructed Eden Plaza hotel, which began development in 2007 but was never completed.
The new two-storey school is to cover an area of 10,989 square metres, making it one of the largest secondary schools across Laois and Offaly.
The construction contractor is to demolish the part-built Eden Plaza hotel structure and replace it with the new school campus.
The new campus will include 122 staff and visitor parking spaces, seven of which will be accessible spaces, along with 200 covered bicycle spaces and six fenced ballcourts.
Vehicular and pedestrian access to the new school is to be provided from Downshire Ring road, on the western side of the site, will all vehicles and pedestrians exiting the school on the northern side.
The school itself is to include 37 general purpose classrooms, 24 specialist classrooms, a library and a PE hall.
According to the tender documents, it's hoped that the successful contractor will commence works on site at the beginning of December.
Tenders are being sought from companies with a minimum yearly construction turnover of €21 million, and the deadline for the receipt of tenders is 5pm on February 28.
TD welcomes tendering process for new school development
Offaly Fine Gael TD John Clendennen welcomed the news that the new Oaklands Secondary School in Edenderry has gone to tender.
"This is exceptionally good news for students and families in Edenderry and the surrounding areas. Students expect, and deserve, the best educational facilities and that is precisely what this project will deliver," Deputy Clendennen said.
"This undertaking will deliver not just great conventional classroom facilities for pupils and teachers but also the most modern offerings in terms of science labs, art and engineering rooms, construction rooms and sports facilities.
"I am particularly pleased to see the commitment to providing art, construction, engineering and home economics facilities in the new college.
"Not enough emphasis is placed on apprenticeships, and I believe that providing suitable facilities and opportunities at second level is key to addressing this issue.
"I intend to work closely with my colleagues Councillors Noel Cribbin and Liam Quinn along with the new Education Minister, Helen McEntee TD, to ensure this project remains a priority within the Department of Education and that it is delivered in a timely manner," the TD concluded.