Limerick improvement projects

Treepole

zulutango wrote: »

When did the Savoy change hands? Was surprised to see that it's now owned by Kirkland / Rudi Butler.

Pretty much the entire development was sold in 2014, hotel, shops, apartments etc.

Strettie11

zulutango wrote: »

When did the Savoy change hands? Was surprised to see that it's now owned by Kirkland / Rudi Butler.

Was sold because the developer Fordmount Developments who owned the entire Savoy complex hotel, retail and 84 apartments, went in receivership due to massive loans due to Anglo Irish

zulutango

Treepole wrote: »

Pretty much the entire development was sold in 2014, hotel, shops, apartments etc.

Were Kirkland the purchasers in 2014 or was there another party who bought it in 2014 who in turn sold it to Kirkland?

Strettie11

I think yes it was announced in Oct 2014 they had won a bid process against 5 or 6 other bidders

Poxyshamrock

The Limerick Leader has an image of the new Savoy development on their website now. I can't say I'm a fan. :pac:

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/265137/boost-for-limerick-with-multi-million-euro-expansion-of-savoy-hotel.html

Mc Love

Yeah it looks rank! Almost like a transformer, the way its seemingly looks like its emerging from the Mill.

johnnyryan89

Yeah gotta say they are gonna ruin what's a great looking building with that monstrosity on top of it. If the glass box wasnt as big maybe it would look nice.

Glenomra

i think that its a superb design, a great addition to the city if built.

Vanquished

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

The Limerick Leader has an image of the new Savoy development on their website now. I can't say I'm a fan. :pac:

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/265137/boost-for-limerick-with-multi-million-euro-expansion-of-savoy-hotel.html

It's encouraging to see the hotel seeking to expand in terms of rooms and facilities. But that addition to the mill building is awful! It's in no way respectful or complementary to the original structure.

black & white

Pity about the residents of the existing flats in the Mill, I presume they will have to move out ?

zulutango

black & white wrote: »

Pity about the residents of the existing flats in the Mill, I presume they will have to move out ?

I was chatting with one of them. They hadn't been informed at all, which is fairly poor form.

That said, I have doubts as to whether the works to the mill will get planning permission.

Poxyshamrock

Vanquished wrote: »

It's encouraging to see the hotel seeking to expand in terms of rooms and facilities. But that addition to the mill building is awful! It's in no way respectful or complementary to the original structure.

My thoughts exactly. Great to see investment like that in the city but just don't think the building is right.

Limerick Dude

An Taisce will be in with an appeal no doubt!

Brennans Row

It's extremely bold.

Can't see them getting planning for that either.

kilburn

Healys trying their best to ruin Limericks skyline with another monstrosity to add to the new tower

moleyv

It's a pretty crap design. The building is already narrow without accentuating it to the extreme with that height.

Vanquished

Brennans Row wrote: »

It's extremely bold.

Can't see them getting planning for that either.

Bold would be an understatement. It looks as if it has no relationship whatsoever with the original building. Almost like an independent glass slab behind and above the stonework. I don't like the alterations to the lower facade either.

pigtown

I actually like the design. It's a bit unusual, and not your typical glass box or red brick cladding. It adds volume and a larger scale to that area of Henry St. which is something I quite like.

Insect Overlord

I thought I would hate it after reading the early reactions here but I like what I see in that picture. Maybe I need to see a larger image to get a better impression of it.

moleyv

I don't hate the design concept per se, but the height is out of proportion with the building (not the street)

yermanoffthetv

It destroys a rather decent looking granary conversion which has some character and charm and replaces it with a concrete and glass cereal box shoehorned into its gutted shell. Hideous. They could quite easily expand to the rear of the building where there is only 2 story warehouses/bingo hall/storage areas. I am all for volume and scale but Id rather they focused on the other shabby low rise buildings that border the hotel than the one ok looking one.

Glenomra

It would make a welcome addition to the street and the city. Preserving the old while adding the new. Another indication that Limerick City is progressing.

yermanoffthetv

Glenomra wrote: »

It would make a welcome addition to the street and the city. Preserving the old while adding the new. Another indication that Limerick City is progressing.

It preserves the old like leatherface preserved the face of his victims. Either knock it completely and build something modern, distinctive and unique or preferably, preserve it and find another solution like I mentioned,buying up and renovating the the 3 rundown buildings that border the building. This apology to tradition is the worst of both worlds.

pigtown

Well I'd call this design modern, distinctive, and unique. You'd hardly notice it from street-level, and from the distance at a glance it would be easy to image it's just a tall building behind an old stone one.

Brennans Row

No deal for Dealz over 'obtrusive' signage at its Limerick store (Limerick Leader)

AN Bord Pleanala has rejected an appeal by discount retailer Dealz against the decision by Limerick City and County Council to refuse permission for illuminated shopfront signage and 2.8m tall vinyl window graphics.

Dealz, a division of UK retailer Poundland, was previously refused planning permission by the local authority for the retention of the signage at its store at the junction of Henry Street and Bedford Row in the city centre.

In her report to the board, planning inspector Pauline Fitzpatrick said the vinyl signage which extends over two floors “creates a visually obtrusive feature in the streetscape” and that it amounts to “visual clutter”.

While Ms Fitzpatrick accepts that shelving will be visible from the street once the vinyl signage is removed from the windows, she says the use of such signage creates “dead frontage” and is not best practice.

In its decision, the board of An Bord Pleanala state the “scale, design and quantum on the building frontage would be excessive in terms of visual clutter” and that retention of the signage would “seriously injure the visual amenities of the area”.

Is Kirkland Investments the landlord of this property?

A clear case of the wrong tenant for this location.

It's hard to see what remedy that would improve this shop front.

Poxyshamrock

Brennans Row wrote: »

Is Kirkland Investments the landlord of this property?

A clear case of the wrong tenant for this location.

It's hard to see what remedy that would improve this shop front.

I imagine it was a case of a sh*te tenant being better than no tenant.

mart 23

Has there been any news as to when the new Bishops Quay office building will commence ?

Brennans Row

mart 23 wrote: »

Has there been any news as to when the new Bishops Quay office building will commence ?

There is nothing new to be seen on the websites of Kirkland Investments or Healy Partners Architects.

Speaking of Healy Partners Architects here is an update on the Savoy Hotel.



THE SAVOY | a contemporary extension (Healy Partners Architects)

Brennans Row

Brennans Row wrote: »

(Dealz Store) Is Kirkland Investments the landlord of this property?

A clear case of the wrong tenant for this location.

It's hard to see what remedy that would improve this shop front.

I found this today.

In October 2014, Kirkland paid €18.54million for the 94-bedroom five-star Savoy Hotel in Limerick city, along with 84 adjoining apartments and six shops.

Kirkland is chaired by Rudi Butler, a son of developer Robert Butler whose Robert Butler Group lost a large chunk of its property empire when its loans were taken over by NAMA in 2012.

Speaking of NAMA, will Michael Daly now return to develop new projects in Limerick?

Life After Bankruptcy (Limerick Leader)

ONE of Limerick's most high profile developers, who received a record judgment of €86.5m against him in the High Court, has been discharged from bankruptcy.

The judgment against Michael Daly, who was behind some of the most pivotal developments in Limerick including the €75m Riverpoint building and the €100m Savoy Hotel development, was the largest ever entered against an individual at the Commercial Court when it was handed down in 2010.

See the weekend edition of the Limerick Leader for the full report over two pages, including Mr Daly's legacy to Limerick, and the effect Fordmount's collapse had on creditors.

Brennans Row

Limerick's Parkway Valley development to be placed on derelict sites register (Limerick Leader)

Under the provisions of the Derelict Sites Act, 1990, any local authority can prosecute the owners of lands or buildings who do not comply with notices served on them.

In addition to any prosecution, a local authority can purchase the property compulsory and carry out any necessary works - charging the owners for the cost of such works.

Something must happen here but like the half hearted threats made by the council against the owners of the Dunnes Stores Shopping Centre at Sarsfield’s Bridge, I don’t see any improvement on this site for years to come.