Limerick improvement projects

Twoman Fullbackline

Had read the same somewhere and can't find the detail now.

Would agree on the comments keeping a "green lung" to the city around the Groody. The second building in the City East Plaza nearby will be occupied soon with two more similar offices planned at the same site, so it's a tract that will be ringed on all sides shortly.

Mc Love

Twoman Fullbackline wrote: »

Had read the same somewhere and can't find the detail now.

Would agree on the comments keeping a "green lung" to the city around the Groody. The second building in the City East Plaza nearby will be occupied soon with two more similar offices planned at the same site, so it's a tract that will be ringed on all sides shortly.

You could get people from the nearby offices going there on their lunch break if that was designated as a park. I'm sure the residents on Groody road would be delighted to have a park to look out on to

iguana

And there is no reason that it couldn't still house things like Funderland and the circus when they are in Limerick. It's also big enough to house a large area as a dedicated dog park. And there could be permanent attractions that would bring in visitors from surrounding counties, possibly run for profit, like an adventure playground for older kids, a hedge-maze, crazy golf, cycling tracks, etc. There would be lots of scope to make something that would add real value to the whole county while being sympathetic to the fact that it is in part a natural and necessary flood plain.

Shn99

Gardens International 5-5-18

callaway92

Shn99 wrote: »

Gardens International 5-5-18

View from my workplace (6th floor). Gardens getting even taller I think.

source

Not getting taller, they've built what looks like a services room on the roof.

callaway92

source wrote: »

Not getting taller, they've built what looks like a services room on the roof.

Cool - looked like the lift shaft was being built up so that’s what I assumed

Brennans Row

source wrote: »

Not getting taller, they've built what looks like a services room on the roof.

I can't place that building in the foreground.

Is it part of those two Georgian buildings across the road?

source

Brennans Row wrote: »

I can't place that building in the foreground.

Is it part of those two Georgian buildings across the road?

Part of the roof of the apartment block in Riverpoint

Brennans Row

source wrote: »

Part of the roof of the apartment block in Riverpoint

Christ, the facade of that building has aged. :eek:

Poxyshamrock

source wrote: »

Part of the roof of the apartment block in Riverpoint

Riverpoint isn't visible in that photograph. Building on far left is Newtown House (over Gleesons Spar), next building is Estuary House (formerly Eircom), next to that is Henry Street Garda station.

source

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Riverpoint isn't visible in that photograph. Building on far left is Newtown House (over Gleesons Spar), next building is Estuary House (formerly Eircom), next to that is Henry Street Garda station.

I believe we're discussing my picture in the link in my post rather than the embedded one.

Tefral

source wrote: »

Not getting taller, they've built what looks like a services room on the roof.

Its the plant room for all the chillers etc. That roof is going to be covered in solar panels shortly...

Jose Maria

New Paths on the Catherine street/Roches street/ O Connell street block, they are some kind of black asphalt material, they look sh*te

zulutango

Jose Maria wrote: »

New Paths on the Catherine street/Roches street/ O Connell street block, they are some kind of black asphalt material, they look sh*te

It's bad enough that they use poured concrete generally in the city centre, but putting this black surface over the footpaths shows how little they regard the city they are tasked with managing. If the Council is as ambitious as it says it is for Limerick they'd be investing a lot of money in the footpaths and streets and do their bit to ensure that visitors don't have any reason to think of Limerick as grotty and run down. Unfortunately, they are doing the very opposite.

LeoD

zulutango wrote: »

It's bad enough that they use poured concrete generally in the city centre, but putting this black surface over the footpaths shows how little they regard the city they are tasked with managing. If the Council is as ambitious as it says it is for Limerick they'd be investing a lot of money in the footpaths and streets and do their bit to ensure that visitors don't have any reason to think of Limerick as grotty and run down. Unfortunately, they are doing the very opposite.

I am going to give the council the benefit of doubt here but I presume this crap has been put in place as a temporary measure until the all singing, all dancing, O'Connell St public realm improvement scheme gets delivered. Speaking of which, anyone know what's happening there? Things seem to have gone very quiet on that front.

OfTheMarsWongs

LeoD wrote: »

I am going to give the council the benefit of doubt here but I presume this crap has been put in place as a temporary measure until the all singing, all dancing, O'Connell St public realm improvement scheme gets delivered. Speaking of which, anyone know what's happening there? Things seem to have gone very quiet on that front.

It’s not the first time footpaths have been tarmacced. I maybe remember seeing something about it being done to protect the concrete over the summer. Thats why it’s not finished to a good standard as is only meant to be temporary. This was a few years ago.

Mc Love

the stretch from Supermacs to Leavys shoes was the first iteration of this so called pavement covering.

The slabs on the footpath on Shannon st. are lethal when wet but the surface on Catherine St is much better between Roches and Thomas St.

Vanquished

It's patently obvious that the council only pays lip service to the issues facing the city centre. It has no real interest in implementing measures that will effect positive change. This latest hamfisted botch job just illustrates the contempt they have for the place. The majority of our streets are dreadfully maintained and presented. Riddled with rubbish paving, ugly poles and wiring. As Zulutango alluded to: I often wonder what sort of an impression does the city centre make on visitors to Limerick in it's current condition? We're definitely not making the most of what we have but the council don't seem to have any interest in addressing this.

LeoD

Vanquished wrote: »

It's patently obvious that the council only pays lip service to the issues facing the city centre. It has no real interest in implementing measures that will effect positive change. This latest hamfisted botch job just illustrates the contempt they have for the place. The majority of our streets are dreadfully maintained and presented. Riddled with rubbish paving, ugly poles and wiring. As Zulutango alluded to: I often wonder what sort of an impression does the city centre make on visitors to Limerick in it's current condition? We're definitely not making the most of what we have but the council don't seem to have any interest in addressing this.

Without getting too personal, it would be great to know where the decision makers and road engineers within the council are from or live. Do they have an ounce of understanding of what it's like to do anything within the city apart from drive their cars as fast as they can through it? Their history of decision making shows they have zero empathy for the city as a place to be in, live in or even do business in.

Jose Maria

It's vandalism , it's an area of the city that has been improving over the last 12 months with a lot of new independent businesses opening and existing business renovating, I just walked up around there again to see it in the daylight it's shocking

zulutango

There should really be urban designers calling the shots on any public realm work such as footpaths, street upgrades, etc. But the Council doesn't employ urban designers so it's left to roads engineers who are totally unqualified for this kind of thing.

thesimpsons

OfTheMarsWongs wrote: »

It’s not the first time footpaths have been tarmacced. I maybe remember seeing something about it being done to protect the concrete over the summer. Thats why it’s not finished to a good standard as is only meant to be temporary. This was a few years ago.

we'll still be calling it temporary in 5 years times. It looks horrendous. haven't come across a single person young or old who thinks it improves anything about the city. As to protecting the concrete !!!!! Never heard that one before. I'd be more concerned on a hot day that the tar will start to melt a bit - and then many a pair of shoes and shop floors ruined cos it it.

mdmix

LeoD wrote: »

I am going to give the council the benefit of doubt here but I presume this crap has been put in place as a temporary measure until the all singing, all dancing, O'Connell St public realm improvement scheme gets delivered. Speaking of which, anyone know what's happening there? Things seem to have gone very quiet on that front.

Cllr Daniel Butler was in the LL a few weeks back to say there was an issue with funding holding it up. Funding is there but an issue accessing it, can’t remember exactly. I was more interested in his comments on design. The original design is going ahead without any adjustments, so the “public consultation” was a meaningless tick box exercise. At this point I’m genuinely considering leaving limerick.

Poxyshamrock

mdmix wrote: »

At this point I’m genuinely considering leaving limerick.

I don't blame you. When you see the levels of apathy shown by the council, you wonder are we going one step forward and two steps back. I'm glad that the likes of Twitter exist these days to put greater pressure on the council to cop the f**k on.

LeoD

mdmix wrote: »

The original design is going ahead without any adjustments, so the “public consultation” was a meaningless tick box exercise.

Really? Is this in the public domain because that's the first I've heard about it. I wouldn't be surprised because at this stage I think LCCC actually enjoy winding people up with their mismanagement of the city. I know you will have people like John Moran always trying to promote the 'positive' Limerick stories but it's just bullsh*t. Limerick is an unemployment blackspot and has the lowest rate of population growth among the 5 largest cities in Ireland because it's an unattractive place to live/work/shop in. A lot of that is down to the incompetence of LCCC.

zulutango

The Council need a kick up the hole for sure. I don't think they ever saw the O'Connell Street project as anything other than a dressing up exercise. They can't envisage it (or indeed Limerick) being a whole lot different or better than it currently is. Their only way of improving the city is to entice more jobs to it. That's all well and good, but it's a very narrow approach to their role. There's so much more they can do, but they just don't see it. So long as the main players in the Council are so bereft of vision and understanding of what actually makes cities thrive, then Limerick will trundle along and we'll make the same kind of mistakes that we've always been making, and we won't really progress from being a third rate, dysfunctional regional European backwater.

mdmix

ok so i normally look back over articles to make sure i dont post something stupid, but as LL use a paywall i couldnt access it right away. unfortunatly my memory has failed me in this case as the article doesnt say much about anything. it does say works are hoped to start this summer which hardly leaves room for any changes to the design. also, it is scary to think that any local authority would do a major street remodeling without having a transport plan for the city. see full text from article below -

Limerick councillor clarifies delay on O'Connell Street revitalisation plans
Cllr Daniel Butler

LIMERICK councillor Daniel Butler has praised the council for its “correct and responsible” approach to the stalled plans to completely transform O’Connell Street in the city.

Questions have been raised on the project’s progress, which may see traffic reduced to one lane on Limerick’s main thoroughfare. When unveiled, it received only a lukewarm response.

Cllr Butler, who sits on the travel and transportation​ committee, said the delay has been down to the need for council to get an assessment to clarify if an environmental impact study is required.

It’s hoped this will be in place by the end of May.

He said while the delay is “frustrating”, it has allowed talks with businesses, Bus Eireann and Irish Water to take place.

Some €9.1m has been allocated for the O’Connell Street revitalisation scheme, but there have been fears expressed that it could bring about a “ghost city” and the plans are not “sufficiently ambitious.”

The local authority had put together a preferred plan following a series of consultations with elected representatives, the local business community, and members of the public, which it unveiled in June last year.

It was intended that works would start this summer.

The Liveable Limerick group has called on the authority to design a solution that would "put Limerick on the global map".

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/310304/limerick-councillor-clarifies-delay-on-o-connell-street-revitalisation-plans.html

keane2097

In fairness if that's the guy I'm thinking of he seems to be fairly forward thinking at least he comes across that way on Twitter.

damowill

mdmix wrote: »

ok so i normally look back over articles to make sure i dont post something stupid, but as LL use a paywall i couldnt access it right away. unfortunatly my memory has failed me in this case as the article doesnt say much about anything. it does say works are hoped to start this summer which hardly leaves room for any changes to the design. also, it is scary to think that any local authority would do a major street remodeling without having a transport plan for the city. see full text from article below -



https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/310304/limerick-councillor-clarifies-delay-on-o-connell-street-revitalisation-plans.html

When the plans went out for submission last year they had thought the work would commence by summer 2018. Obviously thats now not going to be met as the alternate plans need to be agreed on and then need to go out for submission. Is it feasible to pedestrianise O' Connell street, partially or fully or not at all? And then are Limerick CC brave enough to go through with it.

The original plans to reduce O' Connell street to one lane was nothing but a half way house. But pedestrianising it to some degree will have a big impact of traffic management which will have knock on effects. There are pros' and cons to any changes that are implemented but this is a big opportunity for the city