Limerick Businesses Closed V 2.0 [Mod note post 1]

Pumpkinseeds

sleepyman wrote: »

Would love to see the likes of Todds and Penneys ripped down.They're pretty ugly.Would love to see something done with the paving on Cruises St.Maybe if they put down the type of paving that's on Grafton St.
Your main St should be a jewel in the crown and sadly Limerick is let down by O'Connell St.
It needs to be cleaned up soon.
I'm hoping the 2030 plan can start kicking into action soon

What would you replace them with? None of the major high street stores are interested in opening in the city centre. If you get rid of Penneys and BT you effectively destroy trade in the city centre. As I see it if Argos and Penneys went there'd be very little reason for many people to bother with the city centre at all. I'll believe the 2030 plan when the buildings actually exist and are occupied.

pigtown

Something that would make a big impact and be relatively easy to do is remove the plaster work from the considerable number of Georgian buildings that still occupy O'Connell St, and restore the brickwork. The block between Thomas St. and Roches St. is entirely intact apart from the Chicken Hut, and if it was properly restored and the architectural features treated sympathetically then it could be a very impressive street.

dellas1979

Well, here is my 2 cent. Streamline the whole city.

Knock every crappy building/dismantel every abandoned petrol station and sow trees (as already suggested).

Keep the city center for a few of the bigger shops (renovate BTs/Debenhams/Pennys), social scene (Limerick does have a good social scene despite the state of the place), and offices/office workers that are around the area. And put the main stream shops in different locations with motorway access (i.e., Coonagh/Crescent shopping center). No more horrible buildings to be put up in the city.

Pave up towards Daniel O Connell statue with cobblestones.

Look after the facades of the Georgian/Victorian buildings.

When are Limerick council going to do something/anything?

Insect Overlord

dellas1979 wrote: »

When are Limerick council going to do something/anything?

Probably after they finish celebrating the results of the count...

Silentcorner

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

What would you replace them with? None of the major high street stores are interested in opening in the city centre. If you get rid of Penneys and BT you effectively destroy trade in the city centre. As I see it if Argos and Penneys went there'd be very little reason for many people to bother with the city centre at all. I'll believe the 2030 plan when the buildings actually exist and are occupied.

Ya apart from work, social life, cultural events, restuarantes, cafes, museums, art galleries, gigs, nice strolls by the river, hotels, parks, train station/bus station, pubs, nightclubs, concerts, King Johns Castle...you are right...without Pennys and Argos we'd be f**ked....

Jees, some negativity on here at times it gets a bit much.

O'Connell St has a high enough vacancy rate, but the rest of the city centre doesn't, (certainly within the Prime Retail Area) and it is the most pedestrian unfriendly street in the city, as City Slicker stated it doesn't help set a tone, which is a shame, as the work done over recent years on other streets has had a huge impact but the main street has got to be improved, even the signage above the stores are terrible looking, that alone is a quick fix.

Go outside the city centre, most suburban shopping centres are full (Jetland SC aside) so are the Parkway/Crescent/Childers Rd, all have very high occupancy rates...

Citys will always have a mix of bland/ugly/beautiful buildings as beauty is subjective, it is impossible to keep everyone happy...

Pumpkinseeds

Silentcorner wrote: »

Ya apart from work, social life, cultural events, restuarantes, cafes, museums, art galleries, gigs, nice strolls by the river, hotels, parks, train station/bus station, pubs, nightclubs, concerts, King Johns Castle...you are right...without Pennys and Argos we'd be f**ked....

Jees, some negativity on here at times it gets a bit much.

O'Connell St has a high enough vacancy rate, but the rest of the city centre doesn't, (certainly within the Prime Retail Area) and it is the most pedestrian unfriendly street in the city, as City Slicker stated it doesn't help set a tone, which is a shame, as the work done over recent years on other streets has had a huge impact but the main street has got to be improved, even the signage above the stores are terrible looking, that alone is a quick fix.

Go outside the city centre, most suburban shopping centres are full (Jetland SC aside) so are the Parkway/Crescent/Childers Rd, all have very high occupancy rates...

Citys will always have a mix of bland/ugly/beautiful buildings as beauty is subjective, it is impossible to keep everyone happy...

I'm talking about shopping. I know that the retail parks are full, that's not helping the city centre though.

Vanquished

Lack of civic pride and a poor level of attention to detail are endemic in this country. As a nation we seem to be largely aesthetically ignorant.

In Limerick just as all over the country there are countless examples of attractive period buildings that are shockingly neglected by their owners. On O'Connell Street we see so many ignorant interventions where Georgian buildings have had their timber sash windows removed and replaced with ugly, totally unsuitable pvc rubbish. Inappropriate signage and unsightly cables abound. Many have vegetation growing from their facades as well.

We can't blame the City Council for everything. Business proprietors have to cop on to themselves and start taking some initiative in maintaining their premises appropriately!

Vanquished

1huge1 wrote: »

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/88893511.jpg Brown Thomas Galway

http://www.msa.ie/images/msaImages/projects/department/brown.jpg Brown Thomas Dublin

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5100/5568283005_376cc49b9e_z.jpg Brown Thomas Cork

& finally

http://photos.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/25/69/17_big.jpg Brown Thomas Limerick

I never really noticed how bad Brown Thomas in Limerick is in comparison to the others in the country, especially the very impressive building that Brown Thomas Cork occupies.

In fairness Brown Thomas inherited those buildings when it acquired the independent department stores of Cash's in Cork and Moons in Galway. Just as they did with Todd's in Limerick.

The original Brown Thomas store on Grafton Street is now a Marks & Spencer. Brown Thomas moved across the street when they acquired the former Switzers department store.

As has been mentioned. The impressive Victorian building Todd's once occupied was sadly destroyed by a huge fire in 1959. The current structure replaced it in 1963 and is obviously a reflection of the modernist architecture of the day. The Todd's disaster and subsequent reconstruction clearly had a knock on impact on the city centre as it seemed to be a catalyst for the demolition and replacement of other period buildings such as Cannocks and the Royal George hotel with inferior structures.

SarahBeep!

Vanquished, those photos are amazing. Thanks for sharing them!

Cityslicker1

Cannocks (Pennys).jpg

Cannocks - Now Pennys.jpg

cannocksrochesstores.jpg

Sarsfield street.jpg

Here are some pics of the old Cannocks building (currently where Pennys stands), it's sad to see because if it still stood today it would make a massive difference to the character of the immediate retail core of the city centre. Sarsfield street had some very impressive buildings too which again are gone unfortunately (Last pic).

dellas1979

That is bananas!

Limerick, 50/60 odd years ago, looks LOVELY!

What the hell have they done to the place.
Why have they let it go to crap.
Who ever is in charge has no pride in the place at all.
They musnt. They cant. When they leave it like it is now.

stefanovich

Cityslicker1 wrote: »

Cannocks (Pennys).jpg

Cannocks - Now Pennys.jpg

cannocksrochesstores.jpg

Sarsfield street.jpg

Here are some pics of the old Cannocks building (currently where Pennys stands), it's sad to see because if it still stood today it would make a massive difference to the character of the immediate retail core of the city centre. Sarsfield street had some very impressive buildings too which again are gone unfortunately (Last pic).

Unbelievable. Why was this building knocked? It's disgraceful.

Even in my time they were still at it. Cruise's hotel getting knocked, the Georgian building's getting knocked to build the eyesore which is Arthur's Quay.

Cityslicker1

stefanovich wrote: »

Unbelievable. Why was this building knocked? It's disgraceful.

Even in my time they were still at it. Cruise's hotel getting knocked, the Georgian building's getting knocked to build the eyesore which is Arthur's Quay.

Ya it's pretty sad that it's gone but I suppose there's nothing that can be done. It was obviously the focal point of O'Connell street at the time. I have to say the city centre was very attractive and grand before they built all the horrible buildings that currently stand.

I've attached another pic of the Glentworth hotel which has again sadly been replaced.

old glentworth hotel.jpg

thesimpsons

anyone know of a shop similiar to the Woodworkers Store or indeed, if the Woodworker Store moved to somewhere else. Always found them very handy for making up bits of odd timber projects I have.

Jofspring

You would have to wonder what was going through people's minds when they started ripping down those buildings and putting rubbish up "o hey that's a beautiful building, let's tear it down and put up bland ones instead"

h3000

thesimpsons wrote: »

anyone know of a shop similiar to the Woodworkers Store or indeed, if the Woodworker Store moved to somewhere else. Always found them very handy for making up bits of odd timber projects I have.

I think it's gone alright. The most similar shop I can think of is The Irish Wire on the Dock Road.

tommy249

I see Elverys on henry street seems to have closed. The sign above the door was taken down and they appear to be clearing out stock this evening

bigpink

Italian restaurant by mount Kenneth is closed

bennyl10

bigpink wrote: »

Italian restaurant by mount Kenneth is closed

Unil september.

Berty

Speaking of Italian, Ravioli Verde also closed on O'Connell Avenue.

bigpink

Oh that's good they moving?

Itsdacraic

tommy249 wrote: »

I see Elverys on henry street seems to have closed. The sign above the door was taken down and they appear to be clearing out stock this evening

Don't know how that place stayed open this long. Was always empty.

Poxyshamrock

Beer Baron wrote: »

Speaking of Italian, Ravioli Verde also closed on O'Connell Avenue.

That didn't last long! :eek:

black & white

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

That didn't last long! :eek:

I'm a regular in their place in Shannon and heard last week that they were closing the Limerick place, not doing enough business. I'd say they were just a wee bit too far up O'C St for the casual diner.

tommy249

Copper & Spice city center restaurant has closed - Annacotty remaining open

RINO87

Walked past Tom tailor on Bedford row last night and the place is empty with to let signs in the windows. Shame really, they had quality clothes at a nice price. Thinking back tho, anytime I've been in there I found myself being the only customer.

tommy249

Helene Modes closed today after 70 years in business according to the Limerick Leader

Poxyshamrock

Ah no!

I hate to see things like that!

Pumpkinseeds

tommy249 wrote: »

Helene Modes closed today after 70 years in business according to the Limerick Leader[/QUOTE

My parents bought my Communion dress there in 1980, I still remember trying it on:) Sad to see the place go.

RhubarbCrumble

Curves Gym in Raheen is closing at the end of the week.