Dublin City Council has marked the start of refurbishment work at the former Rutland Street School in Dublin with a sod turning event.

The improvement works will include the establishment of a community hub in this landmark building, which will provide services and facilities for the surrounding area. The facilities will include a café and community hall, a crèche, a radio station, Dublin City Council offices and enterprise incubation hub.

The objectives of the Rutland Street School project include:

• Refurbishment of a local iconic architecturally significant building which stimulates the potential of development of adjoining sites on Sean Mac Dermott Street

• Provision of modern, fit for purpose, state of the art facilities for youth, community, cultural and education services

• Deliver a new Civic Centre for the wider North Inner City Area – housing services, public domain, environmental services and intercultural supports

• Development of business incubation spaces, shared office space on site to encourage entrepreneurship / small business development in the area

The project which is valued at €30 million was funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage's Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), the North East Inner City Programme Implementation Board and Dublin City Council.

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The event was attended by Councillor Nial Ring (deputising for the Lord Mayor of Dublin), Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O'Brien, Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe, Chair of the North East Inner City (NEIC) Programme Implementation Board Jim Gavin, and Executive Manager Dublin City Council Karl Mitchell.

Councillor Ring said: "It is great to know this iconic building will be brought back to its former glory and, as it did from the early nineteen hundreds, will play an important role in youth, community, cultural and education services,” said Cllr Ring. “The inclusion of a community cafe, community garden as well as a new Civic Centre for the area will ensure that this building will become a real community hub and prove itself to be an important step in DCC's ambitious plans for the social and economic regeneration of the North East Inner City. Bainfidh an pobal ar fad taibhe as an forbairt iontach seo."

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien, stated: "I am delighted to see this North-East inner city community hub project break ground. My Department has backed this project from the beginning through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) and is providing €21 million in funding for this regeneration and rejuvenation project. This funding will go a long way to deliver more compact and sustainable development and ensure our urban areas are attractive and vibrant places where people and families choose to live, work, and invest. Along with all of the project partners, I look forward to its completion and the building becoming a diverse and vibrant community hub, and catalyst for further development in the area."

Chair of the North East Inner City (NEIC) Programme Implementation Board Jim Gavin said: "Níl tuilleadh dá mhéad nach dtránn – Even the highest tide will turn. The rejuvenation of the disused school on Rutland Street is a priority project of the Kieran Mulvey report and on completion will be a physical manifestation of the commitment to delivering on promises made to this community to create a brighter future. I congratulate all of those who had the vision and drive to return this landmark building as a central point for generations to come. The tide is turning and, along with this new multi-use Community Hub, the NEIC Programme Implementation Board is steadfast in its commitment to make the North East Inner City of Dublin a safe, attractive and vibrant living and working environment for the community and its families with opportunities for all to lead full lives."