So what are YOUR ideas to revive Limerick?

Insect Overlord

angeldaisy wrote: »

Can it be so difficult to get a good website up and running illustrating all the positives of Limerick, what's on - any events, music playing etc.. Not all of us read the Post or Leader and I often find out after the event!

Working on it.

liammur

hattoncracker wrote: »

Cheaper parking for one.. No one comes into town really coz parking is a nightmare..

Why would u pay to come in to town to get things that you can get in Childers Road, Parkway, The Crescent, etc.

Also, we need stores in town that the retail parks don't have, M&S is a big one that we are missing out on, and maybe a big toystore to get people in with their kids.. And Nandos are popping up everywhere.. One of them would be awesome!!
Those businesses need to be incentivised to come here...


Patrick St looks like something out of The Narrows in Gotham, but The architecture is beautiful and has so much potential..

Even just a few of those shops would do the world of good, shops that you dont see outside the city centre.

M&S would not and could not even consider moving into Limerick. With unemployment running at over 70% in the city of the key 18-25 yr range, they'd quickly realise the future isn't too rosy. Young people are the ones who really spend the money, and with unemployment so high, shops will be closing instead of opening.
Tackle the unemployment and everything else will fall into place.

Kess73

hattoncracker wrote: »

Cheaper parking for one.. No one comes into town really coz parking is a nightmare..

Why would u pay to come in to town to get things that you can get in Childers Road, Parkway, The Crescent, etc.

Also, we need stores in town that the retail parks don't have, M&S is a big one that we are missing out on, and maybe a big toystore to get people in with their kids.. And Nandos are popping up everywhere.. One of them would be awesome!!
Those businesses need to be incentivised to come here...


Patrick St looks like something out of The Narrows in Gotham, but The architecture is beautiful and has so much potential..

Even just a few of those shops would do the world of good, shops that you dont see outside the city centre.

Nandos did look at Limerick, as did Captain Americas. If they come back to look again, then I suspect you won't be seeing them in the city centre but instead in the Crescent Shopping centre should the right unit become available.


The standalone unit in the Parkway Retail Park, the one in front of TK Maxx, was also looked at by a number of eateries over the last few years and if the Parkway Valley project had gotten completed I think that unit would be in use now as well as a number of other big name eateries going into the Parkway valley centre.

Kess73

liammur wrote: »

M&S would not and could not even consider moving into Limerick. With unemployment running at over 70% in the city of the key 18-25 yr range, they'd quickly realise the future isn't too rosy. Young people are the ones who really spend the money, and with unemployment so high, shops will be closing instead of opening.
Tackle the unemployment and everything else will fall into place.

M&S did consider coming to Limerick, and I have no doubt that the idea will be revisited in a year or two, most likely in 2014. By revisited I mean M&S actually looking rather than the made up shyte that gets spouted in the Limerick Leader when one politician or another is trying to pretend that the Opera centre project is "just about" to start.


Don't think they will have any major interest in coming to the city centre though, not unless a unit capable of taking close to a full sized M&S store is available. If I had to hazard a guess, I would think that if the Parkway Valley project gets greenlit, then that is where they (or maybe Iceland) will end up.

Also the key age demographic for M&S is nowhere near as narrow a band as the 18-25 one. Their key demographic has a much higher age.

liammur

Kess73 wrote: »

M&S did consider coming to Limerick, and I have no doubt that the idea will be revisited in a year or two, most likely in 2014. By revisited I mean M&S actually looking rather than the made up shyte that gets spouted in the Limerick Leader when one politician or another is trying to pretend that the Opera centre project is "just about" to start.


Don't think they will have any major interest in coming to the city centre though, not unless a unit capable of taking close to a full sized M&S store is available. If I had to hazard a guess, I would think that if the Parkway Valley project gets greenlit, then that is where they (or maybe Iceland) will end up.

Also the key age demographic for M&S is nowhere near as narrow a band as the 18-25 one. Their key demographic has a much higher age.

That is correct. However, in 10 years time, will the unemployment be any better for those unemployed? The trend is getting progessively worse, so I would applaud M&S management for favouring towns like Clonmel over Limerick.

ninty9er

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

As for my two cents, it would be great if Limerick could attract companies like google or eBay to the city centre. A couple of hundred young people working in an office block who would live, have lunch, socialise, shop in the city

Believe it or not the city centre has been ruled out by numerous companies for that type of investment because there are no suitable buildings.

Google has 3 buildings on Barrow Street in Dublin and is developing a 4th. An investment in "office block" on the docklands would do wonders for attracting this type of investment, but finding someone with the cash lying around is an issue.

The IDA's strategic plan has a target of 50% of all new investment outside of Dublin and Cork by 2014, but having companies like that in Raheen, Shannon and Plassey is good for the city too.

liammur

ninty9er wrote: »

Believe it or not the city centre has been ruled out by numerous companies for that type of investment because there are no suitable buildings.

Google has 3 buildings on Barrow Street in Dublin and is developing a 4th. An investment in "office block" on the docklands would do wonders for attracting this type of investment, but finding someone with the cash lying around is an issue.

The IDA's strategic plan has a target of 50% of all new investment outside of Dublin and Cork by 2014, but having companies like that in Raheen, Shannon and Plassey is good for the city too.

I wouldn't believe it, simply because there are numerous vacant buildings out in Raheen Industrial Estate alone, so what stopped them from moving there!

Insect Overlord

liammur wrote: »

I wouldn't believe it, simply because there are numerous vacant buildings out in Raheen Industrial Estate alone, so what stopped them from moving there!

I think the point being made was about location. Raheen Industrial Estate isn't in the city centre.

liammur

Insect Overlord wrote: »

I think the point being made was about location. Raheen Industrial Estate isn't in the city centre.

No company has ever set up in the city cetre, and no company will ever even look to set up there unless and until we get a tax break like Dublin got for the IFSC.

Kess73

liammur wrote: »

That is correct. However, in 10 years time, will the unemployment be any better for those unemployed? The trend is getting progessively worse, so I would applaud M&S management for favouring towns like Clonmel over Limerick.

Unemployed folk spend money as well.

M&S and Iceland are both in Clonmel and both doing fairly well, but their respective takings would pale beside the likes of Tesco in the Crescent Shopping centre and lag behind the likes of Dunnes at the Childers Road retail park.

Limerick has a much bigger catchment area than Clonmel, and I would have no problem saying that a full sized M&S store in Limerick would outperform the Clonmel one to a large degree.

Location is the problem for M&S in Limerick, not the unemployment %. If Limerick having a high number of unemployed folk was the deciding factor for M&S (which it was not) then they would never have set up in Clonmel either as South Tipperary is one of the worst unemployment spots in Ireland in terms if the % of folk of working age that are unemployed, and it has been since about 2008.

M&S (like any retailer) don't care if the person spending money in their store is employed or unemployed. They just care that the money is being spent and on a regular basis.

golden lane

government investment is the only way (that is borrowing money, to actually make money not throwing good money after bad).......
enterprise zones for business....a single planning authority.....with a broad minded outlook on limericks geographical position.....

ninty9er

liammur wrote: »

I wouldn't believe it, simply because there are numerous vacant buildings out in Raheen Industrial Estate alone, so what stopped them from moving there!

Remember they are the ones buying a product. You don't walk into a garage and wait for the salesman to tell you what to buy, you tell him what you want and if he doesn't habit it, you leave.

You and I will never agree, but at least I have gone to the bother of investigating the issue and had it raised and responded to by a cabinet minister who will review issues raised. What have you done besides complain?

liammur

ninty9er wrote: »

Remember they are the ones buying a product. You don't walk into a garage and wait for the salesman to tell you what to buy, you tell him what you want and if he doesn't habit it, you leave.

You and I will never agree, but at least I have gone to the bother of investigating the issue and had it raised and responded to by a cabinet minister who will review issues raised. What have you done besides complain?

Of course we will agree on things. But, you have to provide sources. For instance, you claimed numerous companies would have invested in city centre if office space is available. Provide a link to not numerous, but even 1 company seeking to move into the city centre and we'll give you credit. Otherwise, it's make believe.

Another example, you claimed Dell moved in to Limerick after 1996, I was able to provide a link proving this to completely wrong, so now we can agree that Dell moved into Limerick in 1990.

What have I done? I personally contacted Willie O Dea over 6 years ago and warned him of an impending collapse in the Limerick economy unless investment jobs were brought into this region quickly. I also contacted the IDA and FF government of the time expressing my concerns.

liammur

Kess73 wrote: »

Unemployed folk spend money as well.

M&S and Iceland are both in Clonmel and both doing fairly well, but their respective takings would pale beside the likes of Tesco in the Crescent Shopping centre and lag behind the likes of Dunnes at the Childers Road retail park.

Limerick has a much bigger catchment area than Clonmel, and I would have no problem saying that a full sized M&S store in Limerick would outperform the Clonmel one to a large degree.

Location is the problem for M&S in Limerick, not the unemployment %. If Limerick having a high number of unemployed folk was the deciding factor for M&S (which it was not) then they would never have set up in Clonmel either as South Tipperary is one of the worst unemployment spots in Ireland in terms if the % of folk of working age that are unemployed, and it has been since about 2008.

M&S (like any retailer) don't care if the person spending money in their store is employed or unemployed. They just care that the money is being spent and on a regular basis.

Whilst I agree with a lot of this, M&S is more of an upmarket store, I think Limerick is ideal for Aldi and Lidls. I won't be expecting to see M&S in Limerick any time soon.

charlemont

zulutango wrote: »

Fix the local governance issue and everything else will follow. It's as simple as that.

As long as there are three local authorities, with three sets of management and three different development plans, we're going to struggle. The vast majority of the problems that Limerick has stem from the dysfunctional local government set up here. Unemployment, decaying city centre, under-investment in tourism, crime (and perception of crime), donut effect and substandard development are just a few issues of many that are directly related to the governance issue.

That's similar but better put then what I came on to post too, Its like the County Council has sucked the blood from the actual city for its own purpose. Waterford,Galway are our only cities (26 county) that have proper boundaries comprising of their urban areas.
Limerick used to have such a thriving centre, I used to always like visiting.

ninty9er

liammur wrote: »

Of course we will agree on things. But, you have to provide sources. For instance, you claimed numerous companies would have invested in city centre if office space is available. Provide a link to not numerous, but even 1 company seeking to move into the city centre and we'll give you credit. Otherwise, it's make believe.

Another example, you claimed Dell moved in to Limerick after 1996, I was able to provide a link proving this to completely wrong, so now we can agree that Dell moved into Limerick in 1990.

What have I done? I personally contacted Willie O Dea over 6 years ago and warned him of an impending collapse in the Limerick economy unless investment jobs were brought into this region quickly. I also contacted the IDA and FF government of the time expressing my concerns.

Dell continued to expand throughout the 90s but that's not the major issue. Contacting people informing them of impending collapse isn't credible unless you can back it up, as you say yourself. People want people's ideas and input as well as questioning.

No offense, but you are extremely negative, or at least come across that way in text.

"What are you going to do about it?" messages will ultimately be sidestepped unless there is a precursive

"I have a concern relating to industry x which employs y amount of people in the region. Can you confirm that the IDA is showing Limerick as a location to as many companies as are being shown Cork and Galway and that steps are being put in place to provide suitable facilities in strategic locations"

liammur

ninty9er wrote: »

Dell continued to expand throughout the 90s but that's not the major issue. Contacting people informing them of impending collapse isn't credible unless you can back it up, as you say yourself. People want people's ideas and input as well as questioning.

No offense, but you are extremely negative, or at least come across that way in text.

"What are you going to do about it?" messages will ultimately be sidestepped unless there is a precursive

"I have a concern relating to industry x which employs y amount of people in the region. Can you confirm that the IDA is showing Limerick as a location to as many companies as are being shown Cork and Galway and that steps are being put in place to provide suitable facilities in strategic locations"

Even though my background is in economics and finance, it shouldn't have taken someone of my calibre to notice than the region was in danger and being totally neglected. O Dea failed and he knows it.
If anyone wants proof, all they need do is look at the number of companies that moved into Galway/Cork/Dublin since 1997. Go to the IDA website. Then look at what Limerick got.

Unfortunately, it's not negative on my part, it's reality. Go to Cork/Dublin/Galway and you won't see shop windows boarded up everywhere. The simple question is...why?

ninty9er

liammur wrote: »

Even though my background is in economics and finance, it shouldn't have taken someone of my calibre to notice than the region was in danger and being totally neglected. O Dea failed and he knows it.
If anyone wants proof, all they need do is look at the number of companies that moved into Galway/Cork/Dublin since 1997. Go to the IDA website. Then look at what Limerick got.

Unfortunately, it's not negative on my part, it's reality. Go to Cork/Dublin/Galway and you won't see shop windows boarded up everywhere. The simple question is...why?

Have you been to Dublin or Cork, or any regional UK cities recently for that matter? There are boards up everywhere, even Grafton Street.

delthedriver

ninty9er wrote: »

Dell continued to expand throughout the 90s but that's not the major issue. Contacting people informing them of impending collapse isn't credible unless you can back it up, as you say yourself. People want people's ideas and input as well as questioning.

No offense, but you are extremely negative, or at least come across that way in text.

"What are you going to do about it?" messages will ultimately be sidestepped unless there is a precursive

"I have a concern relating to industry x which employs y amount of people in the region. Can you confirm that the IDA is showing Limerick as a location to as many companies as are being shown Cork and Galway and that steps are being put in place to provide suitable facilities in strategic locations"

Limerick is a fine City, unfortunately successive Governments and the media have treated it as a basket case! What is new?

liammur

ninty9er wrote: »

Have you been to Dublin or Cork, or any regional UK cities recently for that matter? There are boards up everywhere, even Grafton Street.

I was at a conference in Dublin quite recently, and it struck me how vibrant the city was. You certainly wouldn't have thought that the country was in bailout territory. Some parts of the country have done very well in terms of investment, the government needs to aid the regions that didn't .

delthedriver

liammur wrote: »

I was at a conference in Dublin quite recently, and it struck me how vibrant the city was. You certainly wouldn't have thought that the country was in bailout territory. Some parts of the country have done very well in terms of investment, the government needs to aid the regions that didn't .

Agree. One only has to look at the number of expensive 11D & 12D motors around the place!

ninty9er

liammur wrote: »

I was at a conference in Dublin quite recently, and it struck me how vibrant the city was. You certainly wouldn't have thought that the country was in bailout territory. Some parts of the country have done very well in terms of investment, the government needs to aid the regions that didn't .

Sure look at the Crescent it's the same, with plenty of new cars in the car park. The city doesn't exist in a vacuum, though it's doing a pretty good job of killing itself by trying.

zulutango

The M&S red herring never seems too far away.

Even if they did set up in the city, what's it going to do for the place? Very little.

There's a bigger picture lads. The region is very poorly managed. That is not to do so much with the people in control but more to do with the administrative structure of the region. We'll be pissing into the wind until that is fixed.

The bleak employment situation, the urban decay in the city centre, the donut effect won't be adequately addressed until the administrative structure is sorted out.

liammur

ninty9er wrote: »

Sure look at the Crescent it's the same, with plenty of new cars in the car park. The city doesn't exist in a vacuum, though it's doing a pretty good job of killing itself by trying.

We are far too obsessed with the Crescent in Limerick. Take a trip to the Dundrum shopping centre, it's thriving and proves that a huge shopping centre doesn't necessarily mean the death of a city centre. The crescent is a decoy spun by very weak and limited politicians, and unfortunately local media can't see the wood from the trees so they picked up on it, and as result most ordinary people incorrectly blame the crescent for the city's woes.

liammur

zulutango wrote: »

The M&S red herring never seems too far away.

Even if they did set up in the city, what's it going to do for the place? Very little.

There's a bigger picture lads. The region is very poorly managed. That is not to do so much with the people in control but more to do with the administrative structure of the region. We'll be pissing into the wind until that is fixed.

The bleak employment situation, the urban decay in the city centre, the donut effect won't be adequately addressed until the administrative structure is sorted out.

Couldn't agree with you more.
But 1 important point that people shouldn't underestimate: Galway qualifies under the BMW scheme, thereby enabling it to get better tax breaks for companies to set up. This gives Galway an unfair advantage over Limerick, our politicians need to get tax breaks and incentives for companies to set up here.

CatFromHue

Why do Limerick people want a Marks and Spencers so bad?

Is it the clothes or the food?

liammur

CatFromHue wrote: »

Why do Limerick people want a Marks and Spencers so bad?

Is it the clothes or the food?

Could it be an inferiority complex? Clonmel can get one, why can't we sort of thing.

I couldn't care less about it, would much prefer to see a Google/Facebook etc move in.

ninty9er

BMW tax breaks are ending soon, I agree on the crescent, I was making the point that it a city venue essentially. The city doesn't start at the Locke and end at Punch's Cross

liammur

ninty9er wrote: »

BMW tax breaks are ending soon, I agree on the crescent, I was making the point that it a city venue essentially. The city doesn't start at the Locke and end at Punch's Cross

That is true, now we may have disagreed on certain things, but I do give you credit for at least showing interest and trying to do something about it.

Now, if only our politicians would pull their weight (not talk, but action) from every party, because they certainly are getting very well paid by us taxpayers.

delthedriver

liammur wrote: »

That is true, now we may have disagreed on certain things, but I do give you credit for at least showing interest and trying to do something about it.

Now, if only our politicians would pull their weight (not talk, but action) from every party, because they certainly are getting very well paid by us taxpayers.

M&S are not the solution to Limerick problems. Politicians whom we voted for have the power to get Limerick moving again. It is time for them to p... or get off the pot!