Cork City Council has secured €7 million in funding for the redevelopment of the Butter Market and Weighmaster's House Complex in Shandon.

The project will see the historic complex restored and repurposed as Shandon Exchange, a combined enterprise and community hub.

The refurbishment, backed by funding secured under the THRIVE-Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme, will follow best conservation practices, transforming the building into a publicly accessible space that accommodates enterprise, creative work, and community activities. The design will allow for flexible use, supporting both independent and integrated operations for a variety of users.

Chief Executive of Cork City Council, Valerie O'Sullivan, said: "Cork City Council is proud to lead the transformation of the historic Shandon Butter Market Complex. This project demonstrates how heritage buildings can be reimagined as places of innovation and enterprise while remaining rooted in the local community."

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The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, added: "The redevelopment of the Butter Market is an important milestone for Cork, demonstrating what we can achieve when local authorities, communities, and enterprise partners collaborate with a shared purpose. Once central to Cork's trading life, the Butter Market will once again become a place of exchange — reflecting Cork's spirit of resilience, creativity and ambition."

Shandon Exchange will provide modern workspaces, studios, and incubation facilities, creating employment opportunities and shaping collaboration between businesses, the local community, universities, and industry. The development is expected to stimulate activity in Shandon and strengthen its connection to Cork City Centre.

Owned by Cork City Council, the complex will be managed by Recreate Shandon CLG, which will operate the facilities and deliver programming for the hub. Construction is scheduled to begin in August 2026, with completion targeted for February 2028.

This €7 million award is the largest single investment in Shandon in a generation. The Butter Market Complex was identified as the highest priority strategic regeneration project in Cork City Council's Integrated Urban Strategy for Shandon (Shandon IUS), published in March 2025, which provides a roadmap for sustainable heritage-led regeneration in the area.