Limerick improvement projects

tototoe

adaminho wrote: »

Thank Fcuk, it's a monstrosity! I'm not against expanding the Savoy (there's plenty of apartments on the other side) but to destroy one of the last granary buildings in the city!

Agree to an extent, but at least it is being used / taken care of in some fashion. There a few other granary type buildings around the city just left crumbling away or completely under utilised.

The Old Printmakers building down by the market(what a waste of a building)
The one attached to Nancy Blakes
Shannon Electrical and Duggan Glass on Roches Street(could be a beautiful building)
There's another one further up that street as well I think?
Is there another one across from the Blind Pig?
And one near Donkey Fords?


Biggest waste of a building ( and not sure it was a granary) is this one on the Dock Road.. anyone know who owns it or what its history is

zulutango

tototoe wrote: »

Biggest waste of a building ( and not sure it was a granary) is this one on the Dock Road.. anyone know who owns it or what its history is

That's the old Ballantine Mill, owned by the Shannon Foynes Port Company, I think.

source

tototoe wrote: »

Biggest waste of a building ( and not sure it was a granary) is this one on the Dock Road.. anyone know who owns it or what its history is

Not Ballantyne, it's Ranks fantastic pdf on it's history at the bottom of the page linked below.

https://www.limerick.ie/discover/explore/historical-resources/limerick-archives/projects/ranks

Edit: never mind, it is Ballantyne's. Rank's is the silo closer to the city.

mart 23

adaminho wrote: »

Thank Fcuk, it's a monstrosity! I'm not against expanding the Savoy (there's plenty of apartments on the other side) but to destroy one of the last granary buildings in the city!

I notice that this appeal is not yet on the ABP site. Maybe it takes some time to appear.

Silentcorner

Well...it looks like there is a major announcement is on the way tomorrow ...

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/limerick-to-receive-largest-ever-eib-support-programme-for-3000-job-urban-regeneration-plan-814347.html


Should be an interesting period for the city over the coming years...we'll either have a log jammed suburban city or a vibrant city centre...lets hope we can get this opportunity right....

mdmix

Silentcorner wrote: »

Well...it looks like there is a major announcement is on the way tomorrow ...

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/limerick-to-receive-largest-ever-eib-support-programme-for-3000-job-urban-regeneration-plan-814347.html


Should be an interesting period for the city over the coming years...we'll either have a log jammed suburban city or a vibrant city centre...lets hope we can get this opportunity right....

Word for word copy of that article just appeared in the Irish times. They have used a picture of the old plans from 10 years ago by mistake tho!

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/eib-to-sign-off-on-85m-investment-loan-for-limerick-1.3293455?mode=amp

dominatinMC

mdmix wrote: »

Word for word copy of that article just appeared in the Irish times. They have used a picture of the old plans from 10 years ago by mistake tho!

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/eib-to-sign-off-on-85m-investment-loan-for-limerick-1.3293455?mode=amp

That original design was hideous! Maybe a blessing in disguise that it never went ahead at the time

zulutango

dominatinMC wrote: »

That original design was hideous! Maybe a blessing in disguise that it never went ahead at the time

I don't think there's any 'maybe' about it! We are very lucky that it didn't go ahead.

zulutango

It's kinda mad that they're signing off an an 85 million euro loan before the Council has given it the go ahead. It's also described as 'an office development'. It's a far cry from the mixed use plan that was heralded when the Council purchased the site.

keane2097

zulutango wrote: »

It's kinda mad that they're signing off an an 85 million euro loan before the Council has given it the go ahead. It's also described as 'an office development'. It's a far cry from the mixed use plan that was heralded when the Council purchased the site.

Both articles reference mixed use and potential residential elements.

“Project Opera” is proposed as a mixed-use development of the site with an emphasis on public/private sector uses and small scale retail which may include a residential element.

A new public square is to be provided as part of the development with pedestrian links to adjacent city streets.

zulutango

Notwithstanding the terminology in the article, it's a far cry from what was originally envisioned. This is primarily an office development. It was originally intended to have education and residential function.

I'm not being critical of it, by the way. An office development may well be the best option for the site.

pigtown

zulutango wrote: »

Notwithstanding the terminology in the article, it's a far cry from what was originally envisioned. This is primarily an office development. It was originally intended to have education and residential function.

I'm not being critical of it, by the way. An office development may well be the best option for the site.

That seems to happen though, the Capitol development in Cork was originally supposed to have a food incubation space but it never materialized. I guess on greater scrutiny of finances things have to change.

pigtown

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/282097/council-sets-aside-3m-for-conference-centre-in-limerick.html

Some interesting projects included in this year's budget.

zulutango

pigtown wrote: »

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/282097/council-sets-aside-3m-for-conference-centre-in-limerick.html

Some interesting projects included in this year's budget.

The transport corridor from the city to the university (€11 million) seems to be the most significant of those. If we can reduce the travel time from the city to the university and vice versa it will have major benefits for both. The only sensible way to do it is to construct dedicated bus lanes taking the shortest route possible, and to lean on Bus Eireann to provide a reliable, frequent and inexpensive service. People should be able to hop on a bus every 10 minutes and to be in the university within 10 minutes and it shouldn't cost them more than €1. If this was done then there'd be a huge uptake in people using the service.

Insect Overlord

zulutango wrote: »

The transport corridor from the city to the university (€11 million) seems to be the most significant of those. If we can reduce the travel time from the city to the university and vice versa it will have major benefits for both. The only sensible way to do it is to construct dedicated bus lanes taking the shortest route possible, and to lean on Bus Eireann to provide a reliable, frequent and inexpensive service. People should be able to hop on a bus every 10 minutes and to be in the university within 10 minutes and it shouldn't cost them more than €1. If this was done then there'd be a huge uptake in people using the service.

What's the current price of a bus fair in town now? Cash and/or Leap Card? I'd be shocked if Bus Éireann ever reduced it for one route, even if it did lead to a far greater uptake in use.

BoardAtWork

Insect Overlord wrote: »

What's the current price of a bus fair in town now? Cash and/or Leap Card? I'd be shocked if Bus Éireann ever reduced it for one route, even if it did lead to a far greater uptake in use.

€2.20 or €1.60 with a leap card. Whatever about the price of the service, the quality is dreadful.

zulutango

Insect Overlord wrote: »

What's the current price of a bus fair in town now? Cash and/or Leap Card? I'd be shocked if Bus Éireann ever reduced it for one route, even if it did lead to a far greater uptake in use.

€2.20 with cash
€1.61 with Leap card

That info is a year old though. It's probably a bit more. It's way too expensive to encourage frequent travel between the city and university by bus. And, of course, the fact it's a chronic service doesn't help.

http://www.limericktransport.info/2016/09/bus-fares-prices-tickets-where-to-buy-bus-tickets.html

Cookiemunster

The Opera Project is being sent to An Bord Pleanala. The council have decided to commission an Enviromental Impact Assessment and send the project to ABP rather than pushing through with the part 8 process. The EIA is due to be completed by the end of December

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/284995/environmental-impact-assessment-more-prudent-for-limerick-s-150m-opera-site.html#.WiFXy3XwSWE.twitter

tommy249

I see that a massive office development in Galway City Docks has received planning approval by Galway City Council. It is approx 50% of the total size of Opera Project. The Galway process has been so much faster than anything that happens in Limerick, it will probably be built and utilized before a workman moves into the Opera centre. It also has the prospect of massive job announcements that Limerick will miss out on because we cant get our act together. The snails pace progress of tthe Opera centre over the last few years is the most frustrating thing for me.

keane2097

Presumably the Gardens place will be open waiting for tenants before either of them.

Cookiemunster

tommy249 wrote: »

I see that a massive office development in Galway City Docks has received planning approval by Galway City Council. It is approx 50% of the total size of Opera Project. The Galway process has been so much faster than anything that happens in Limerick, it will probably be built and utilized before a workman moves into the Opera centre. It also has the prospect of massive job announcements that Limerick will miss out on because we cant get our act together. The snails pace progress of tthe Opera centre over the last few years is the most frustrating thing for me.

That's a private development, which has nothing to do with GCC other than them giving planning permission. We know nothing of how long the developer took to draw up his plans. (Plus it's on the quays, which are impossible to get to from anywhere in Galway. I'd be amazed if there isn't an appeal to ABP.)
The Opera site is being built by the council, so the process is different. Since the plans were announced in June, the process has been moving along at the normal pace for a Part 8 process. If it had gone through normal planning, it would have been appealed to ABP anyway.

keane2097 wrote: »

Presumably the Gardens place will be open waiting for tenants before either of them.

The Gardens is due to be finished next summer and rumours are that they've already got a tenant.

pigtown

Denis Brosnan gave a interview to the Leader last week and he mentioned a few times how expensive it is to renovate the relatively few Georgian buildings on the Opera site and that was partly the reason why there is so much office space included in the design.
This is fairly worrying for any large scale redevelopment of all those Georgian buildings around the city into apartments who won't have new offices to help pay for it.

Mc Love

The Gardens is fully leased out apparently. Lot of companies looking for big office spaces in the city.

Silentcorner

Mc Love wrote: »

The Gardens is fully leased out apparently. Lot of companies looking for big office spaces in the city.

You'd have to wonder why they didn't build higher....should be twice the height at least...

Glenomra

far away hills are greener. this is from the Galway Bay fm newsroom – 'An appeal has been lodged against a €100 million development project at Galway Docks. An Taisce has submitted an appeal to the City Council against it's decision to grant permission for the Bonham Quay project.' appeal lodged by an Taisce and three others. so at Bord Pleanala.........no different to Limerick's project.

Cookiemunster

Silentcorner wrote: »

You'd have to wonder why they didn't build higher....should be twice the height at least...

Most likely the existing structure couldn't take the extra storeys. To demolish what was there and start again would have too expensive.

mdmix

tommy249 wrote: »

I see that a massive office development in Galway City Docks has received planning approval by Galway City Council. It is approx 50% of the total size of Opera Project. The Galway process has been so much faster than anything that happens in Limerick, it will probably be built and utilized before a workman moves into the Opera centre. It also has the prospect of massive job announcements that Limerick will miss out on because we cant get our act together. The snails pace progress of tthe Opera centre over the last few years is the most frustrating thing for me.

i have my issues with the opera centre but i am at least happy that it will be completed in a reasonable amount of time. its worth noting that the bishops quay development received planning months ago now and we still don't have a start date. its possible the developer is looking to make changes to the plan, or it might just be they are still looking for finance. these things take time and in some cases don't happen at all.

the fact that there are private planning applications approved in galway, and cork of similar scale to the opera centre should give some perspective. the limerick 2030 plans are ambitious and well worth supporting - but that shouldn't stop us from being critical, or asking if what 2030 are doing is right.

Reputable Rog

http://www.eveningecho.ie/corknews/Warning-that-Limerick-could-overtake-Cork-81946fff-fead-49ae-8c6d-a07495390b51-ds.
Just to put Limerick's difficulties in perspective, grass is always greener.

phog

I only noticed recently that the entrance to the underground car park for the Hanging Gardens is off the laneway behind the PO, going to make that laneway a very busy area around peak traffic times.

mdmix

John Moran has a piece in the leader about the facelift for occonnell street. i would love to see the city centre pedestrianised but don't think its possible with the current model of urban sprawl that the council are pushing. although john has no official involvement in planning, he will have a greater insight into what the council are thinking.

Limerick is a city planning to double or more in size and with plans to increase the number of residents of the Georgian core from some 1,500 to well over 5,000.

We have a ridiculous situation where everyone in authority from councillors to conn murry to dennis brosnan were talking about doubling the population of limerick city - but not by building housing in the actual city. Each person alluded to the georgan core as if it were the magic bullet that would tie all their plans together. we now have an idea of the actual figure - a paltry 1500 residents.

in order to have pedestrianised streets we need a public transport system that can support removing car access, how the hell can we have this if we constantly expand the city boundary to accommodate more low density housing, forcing people to drive cars back into the city.

http://www.limerickleader.ie/gallery/home/286080/liveable-limerick-council-must-listen-to-ideas-for-final-design-of-oconnell-street.html