HORSE Racing Ireland [HRI] has taken the first step towards building an indoor arena and hotel at Leopardstown Racecourse.

The semi-state body recently sold 17 of Leopardstown’s 260 acres to the Land Development Authority and, given an assurance by the Taoiseach that the rest of the site will not be touched, HRI is now working on a masterplan to safeguard the racecourse’s long-term future.

Last month, HRI met with local groups and industry stakeholders to hear what they would like prioritised. A hotel and indoor arena, capable of staging concerts or other sports, were already in the mix at that stage and this week HRI announced it was formally engaging with “developers, investors and operators” to progress those plans.

“Following extensive engagement to date, HRI is aware of the growing appetite from the market for a high-quality arena and a hotel at Leopardstown,” HRI said. “An arena would capitalise on unmet demand for large-scale indoor events in Dublin, while a hotel would benefit from year-round footfall and international visitors, positioning Leopardstown as a compelling, multi-use destination operating 365 days a year.”

Paul Dermody, CEO of HRI Racecourses, said: “With its scale, connectivity, established international reputation and year-round event demand, Leopardstown presents a compelling opportunity for partners seeking to deliver a landmark arena and/or hospitality development within the heart of Dublin. Our objective at this stage is to listen, to test the depth of market interest and to ensure that any future procurement process is informed, ambitious and commercially robust.”

Interested parties are invited to submit an expression of interest via the eTenders platform by 3pm on March 11th.

Racing will remain the core activity at Leopardstown, HRI says. Owned and operated by HRI, Leopardstown hosts approximately 23 fixtures annually, including the Christmas Festival, Dublin Racing Festival, and Irish Champions Festival.

The racecourse is located six miles from Dublin city centre and benefits from strong transport connectivity, including LUAS access and proximity to the M50, and sits adjacent to the Sandyford Business District.

Web: leopardstown.com/masterplan