Former Athlone convent to house people fleeing war in Ukraine
Plans for a residential development on the site of the former Bower convent boarding school in Athlone have been put on hold for the time being, as the facility is expected to be used to provide temporary accommodation for people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
In recent months, reports locally suggested the Bower convent might be used to accommodate Ukrainian citizens, and this week the current owners of the site, the Hanly Group, confirmed those plans were taking shape.
It said work was underway to prepare for the arrival of Ukrainians citizens "in the coming weeks," and some 30 staff would be recruited to manage and operate the facility.
Last summer, the Hanly Group was awarded planning approval for 99 residential units on the redeveloped convent site, which would be known as Bower Hall.
Although those plans have been put on hold, the group said it remained committed to developing the new housing units "during the lifetime of the current planning permission," which expires in 2026.
At the time of writing, the number to be accommodated was not known.
"The Hanly Group were contacted by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide temporary, emergency accommodation for Ukrainian civilians fleeing persecution as a result of the war in Ukraine," the Roscommon company said in a statement.
"It is considered that the former Our Lady's Bower school, which was so well maintained by the Sisters of the La Sainte Union order, is a very suitable facility for the provision of accommodation and in supporting the Ukrainian civilians."
It went on to say that the convent facility "has the benefit of offering accommodation, a dining hall, recreation rooms, social and general purpose rooms, which can provide for on-site learning and classes, an indoor sports hall, and significant outdoor space."
The Hanly Group said it had been "on the cusp of concluding arrangements with property advisors to begin the marketing, sale and development" of new units at the Bower site.
"The company has decided to put its development plans on hold to facilitate the accommodation crisis of housing Ukrainian civilians. The Hanly Group maintains its focus of the development of the estate during the lifetime of the current planning permission.
"We are actively working with Westmeath County Council and with local services, service providers, and councillors, who are providing on-the-ground assistance in preparing for the arrival of residents.
"We have a number of resources on site at present, preparing the building for welcoming residents in the coming weeks."
It said a recruitment process was starting this week to hire "30-plus" staff to work at the facility, with the available roles including cleaning assistants, night porters, catering service assistants and management positions, including a general manager and duty managers.
"Anyone interested in applying for positions may do so through: enquiries@bowerhall.ie " it said.
On Monday, a spokesperson for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth told the Westmeath Independent it was "in contractual negotiations" with the owners of the Bower convent in relation to its use in accommodating Ukrainian people.
The Department said it could not comment on the accommodation capacity of the facility, and it also couldn't say how long it's likely to be in use by Ukrainian refugees, "due to the commercially sensitive nature of this information."