Cork City Council has revealed €4m (US$5.1m, £3.2m) plans to turn heritage site Elizabeth Fort into a major tourist attraction predicted to draw in 100,000 visitors a year to the Irish city.

The fort is expected to be the centrepiece of the city’s tourism trail, intended to rival Ireland’s top heritage attractions, and the council is currently seeking a contractor to develop a plan for the site, which will include the provision of a new visitor centre, shop and café, plus new lighting for effect, live animations and multimedia installations.

Plans are also to be drawn up for the outer plaza, with the council keen to acquire the nearby coal yard for further development in the future.

“There can be no doubt that the potential which the Fort offers from a tourism perspective is woefully underused. It should be at the very centre of what the city offers. It speaks not only to the history of Cork itself but also that of the entire country,” says the request for tender.

Cork City Council is hoping to raise the funds through Fáilte Ireland – the country’s national tourism development body – and has touted the city’s historical importance, noting the fort is within a five-minute walk of Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral, the English Market and the former Beamish & Crawford brewery site.