LINKEDIn has identified an office block in Dublin's south city centre in its bid to almost double its space in the capital.

The professional networking site is said to be planning to move on a vacant site at Lad Lane adjacent to their current offices at Wilton Plaza.

The site would be suitable for a development that would provide an additional 85,000 to 100,000 sq ft of space for their operation.

LinkedIn's plans were initially reported by Estate's Gazette.

The Lad Lane site is currently owned by Dublin-based Ellier Investments.

LinkedIn employs nearly 500 people at its current premises , taking up around 55,000 sq ft. It has been on the lookout for a new premises for some time however.

Among the possible sites that were mooted was the former Bank of Ireland headquarters on Baggot Street which is now owned by beef baron Larry Goodman.

The LinkedIn plan is significant because it is understood the firm are hoping to design and build their own premises.

If that happens, it will be one of the first times since the crash that a business has designed and then constructed a tailor -made building for itself.

The growth in rents and capital values have got to the point that it is now worthwhile for new builds in Dublin.

Meanwhile, AirBnB is believed to be seeking to almost triple its presence in Dublin. The firm, which only opened in the Watermarque building last year, is now seeking to take on 60,000sq ft to go with the 25,000 sq ft it already has.

Numerous tech firms are expanding in Dublin, with Twitter currently seeking 120,000 sq ft in the capital.

The microblogging site is currently occupying the Academy Building on Pearse Street.

Facebook has just moved into an office block in Grand Canal Dock, significantly widening its presence in the city.

Irish Independent