'Suite' dreams for former Mayo hotel are far into the future

by Conor Curran

There has been a lot of talk about “what the people of Castlebar want” as of late, particularly regarding the Imperial Hotel.

Donal Geraghty spoke to CRCfm regarding his opposition to the repurposing of the Imperial Hotel as a new municipal office for Castlebar.

Geraghty, who ran in the recent local elections as an Independent Ireland candidate, had previously stated the vacant building should be “flogged to the highest bidder.”

The motion to convert the premises into a municipal building was proposed by Councillor Harry Barrett at the last Castlebar District meeting.

Despite concerns about the council’s ability to finance the project, the motion passed.

This was helped by the absence of councillors Cyril Burke and Al McDonnell.

Barrett felt this result was a need, and a want, for the people for Castlebar

Geraghty regarded this decision as “a lost opportunity for the people of Castlebar” when speaking on air.

“My vision for the Imperial Hotel, now that it’s staying in public ownership, would be that a public-private partnership is set up, like Lough Lannagh Holiday Village, which is a massive success.”

According to Geraghty, this would involve the council renovating the property before either leasing it out or employing a team to manage it as a hotel or B&B.

This proposed idea would see the business provide short-term accommodation, as well as a bar and restaurant, while keeping the famous name.

The logistics of this suggested renovation are where issues arise. When discussing the issue of parking, Geraghty pointed to Pavilion Road car park.

As rebutted by host Aidan Crowley, this may not be suitable for those with heavy luggage.

Problems also arise in terms of accessibility for those with disabilities or small children when it comes to distance and the crossing of roads. Furthermore, this car park already services a library and a football club.

Funding is the elephant in the room for any plan when it comes to the Imperial.

A sum of €11.53 million has been allocated to the Castlebar district under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF), which would see the Imperial Hotel repurposed into an innovation hub.

During the recent municipal district meeting, MD head David Mellett informed the council that this money could not be used to turn the Imperial Hotel into civic offices.

Not all hope is lost, however.

The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has stated that, upon confirmation from the local council that the planned works are not proceeding, they would consider “making the approved funding available for an increased scope of works, cost increases on another approved project, or in some exceptional cases an alternative project.”

While this opens up many possibilities for the Imperial Hotel, it would lengthen the process even further. It also raises questions as to why funding was requested for an innovation hub in the first place, as that doesn’t even seem like an option at this point.

Should the Imperial Hotel return to its namesake, even as a B&B, it’s hard to imagine it as a major moneymaker, particularly with the serious cost required to turn it into a “state of the art” facility.

While the Imperial Hotel may not be competing against an overly wide array of Castlebar hotels, it has a high standard of quality to reach.

It realistically could not offer the facilities of Breaffy House, the capacity of the Ellison, nor the nightlife of the TF Royal Hotel or Ivy Tower.

While it may have been crucial to the Castlebar of the past, it’s just not certain to thrive in the Castlebar of today.

It should be noted, too, that it would be directly facing the ‘Green Bay’ B&B just across the road and competing with the dozens of AirBnB’s popping up around the area.

It seems that the Imperial Hotel is being pulled between many fates, most of which will take serious funding from the local council.

The introduction of a private investor might quell these woes, but until then the financial burden lies on the council.

Regardless, it will be a while before we see those doors opened to the public.

That’s for certain.