€300M Investment into Waterford City

robcass78

engiweirdo wrote: »

There isnt a requirement to "own" a house in this income bracket. But these people do still need somewhere to live, would suffer severe unneccesary financial hardship paying market rate rent and are priced out of acquiring private housing.

The market as has been proven time and time again is not an appropriate method of delivery of public housing. This is best funded and constructed directly by state bodies on a decent scale in order to be cost effective.

Yep. Market doesn't work.

But state & councils don't work either; 28% vs target is a fail. A fail in the leaving cert and a fail by Council & Dept of housing teams.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/end-of-year-targets-for-building-social-housing-unlikely-to-be-reached-1.3679906?mode=amp

I'd put in a regional team to make up the Councils weaknesses in ability to deliver until the housing backlog of 16,000 in the region is met. Building zero social or affordable is not acceptable. And yes, I say this to Mick face to face

IanVW

Another extremely positive announcement today for Bilberry site, Waterford city. Seamus walsh who owns Waterford castle and is developing the Ard Ri hotel in line with North Quays/Michael St. Project has purchased the land and is developing it at a total 20 year investment of €1 BILLION. The investment will include 1500+ high end apartments. Pools and restaurants. With the greenway almost running directly through it and having had close to 300’000 visitors since opening it’s a good opportunity for a development of this type. The beginning of the construction will happen approx 2022 once North Quays is completed. I’ve met with Seamus before and he is extremely motivated and committed to this city. The whole development still has to go to planning etc and will most likely have to deal with the same issues the North Quays project did so this is the very beginning. None the less it’s inspiring to see people put so much faith into our city. If we can all get behind both projects whilst focusing on our commitment to other challenges such as Cardiac care and building more houses so people can enjoy the next twenty years here of Waterford progression then we won’t be doing to bad at all. Well done to Seamus and his partners and I’ll keep you all updated when I hear more.

From councillar Adam Wyse

robcass78

IanVW wrote: »

Another extremely positive announcement today for Bilberry site, Waterford city. Seamus walsh who owns Waterford castle and is developing the Ard Ri hotel in line with North Quays/Michael St. Project has purchased the land and is developing it at a total 20 year investment of €1 BILLION. The investment will include 1500+ high end apartments. Pools and restaurants. With the greenway almost running directly through it and having had close to 300’000 visitors since opening it’s a good opportunity for a development of this type. The beginning of the construction will happen approx 2022 once North Quays is completed. I’ve met with Seamus before and he is extremely motivated and committed to this city. The whole development still has to go to planning etc and will most likely have to deal with the same issues the North Quays project did so this is the very beginning. None the less it’s inspiring to see people put so much faith into our city. If we can all get behind both projects whilst focusing on our commitment to other challenges such as Cardiac care and building more houses so people can enjoy the next twenty years here of Waterford progression then we won’t be doing to bad at all. Well done to Seamus and his partners and I’ll keep you all updated when I hear more.

From councillar Adam Wyse

Yes Seamus is superb. And the South Quays is also going to be developed. Airport & offices coming.

Great to see all this FDI or talent that left the region, coming back to improve the region.

And not one state body involved in leading or creating the above opportunities; shows the power of the business community in the South East.

tonc76

robcass78 wrote: »

Yes Seamus is superb. And the South Quays is also going to be developed. Airport & offices coming.

Great to see all this FDI or talent that left the region, coming back to improve the region.

And not one state body involved in leading or creating the above opportunities; shows the power of the business community in the South East.

Private funding for the airport??

hardybuck

robcass78 wrote: »

And not one state body involved in leading or creating the above opportunities; shows the power of the business community in the South East.

A state body can't lead a project in sites owned by private entities, but to say that none of them are involved is absolutely incorrect.

Harry Palmr

Saw that story on the front of the News and Star this morning.

Obviously a billion/20 years needs to be taken with a salt shaker as no one can see that far ahead and we've been here before anyway but it's all better than nothing.

Remember this?

robcass78

tonc76 wrote: »

Private funding for the airport??

There's private funding there on-the-deck for the Airport. Has been since April.

It's been waiting on Shane Ross to make a decision. Months.

The investment will back off next year when he doesn't make a decision. And then the money of 320m goes into Dublin expansion.

hardybuck

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Saw that story on the front of the News and Star this morning.

Obviously a billion/20 years needs to be taken with a salt shaker as no one can see that far ahead and we've been here before anyway but it's all better than nothing.

Remember this?

Also the plans to build a new town in Gracedieu/Carrickpherish for 12,000 people.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/waterford-plans-new-town-for-12-000-people-1.1169116

Harry Palmr

Grand designs. The future never looked so bright for about 3 years with all manner of plans. Of course the only one that got built - Ferrybank shopping centre is and will always be a shell unless it's turned into accommodation for the NQP builders.

curmudgeonly

IanVW wrote: »

Another extremely positive announcement today for Bilberry site, Waterford city. Seamus walsh who owns Waterford castle and is developing the Ard Ri hotel in line with North Quays/Michael St. Project has purchased the land and is developing it at a total 20 year investment of €1 BILLION. The investment will include 1500+ high end apartments. Pools and restaurants. With the greenway almost running directly through it and having had close to 300’000 visitors since opening it’s a good opportunity for a development of this type. The beginning of the construction will happen approx 2022 once North Quays is completed. I’ve met with Seamus before and he is extremely motivated and committed to this city. The whole development still has to go to planning etc and will most likely have to deal with the same issues the North Quays project did so this is the very beginning. None the less it’s inspiring to see people put so much faith into our city. If we can all get behind both projects whilst focusing on our commitment to other challenges such as Cardiac care and building more houses so people can enjoy the next twenty years here of Waterford progression then we won’t be doing to bad at all. Well done to Seamus and his partners and I’ll keep you all updated when I hear more.

From councillar Adam Wyse

Mmm he does a lot of talking and buying but no real action to date, have my suspicious he may just be a flipper, time will tell.

BBM77

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Saw that story on the front of the News and Star this morning.

Obviously a billion/20 years needs to be taken with a salt shaker as no one can see that far ahead and we've been here before anyway but it's all better than nothing.

Remember this?

hardybuck wrote: »

Also the plans to build a new town in Gracedieu/Carrickpherish for 12,000 people.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/waterford-plans-new-town-for-12-000-people-1.1169116

The grinding pessimism can be given a rest at this stage. Contacts are signed, a building has been bought to use as project offices, all stage goals have been met. I don’t even know what an old picture of unsuccessful and completely unrelated plans in Bilberry and Gracedieu from 2004 has to do with the North Quays!

Harry Palmr

IanVW wrote: »

Another extremely positive announcement today for Bilberry site, Waterford city. Seamus walsh who owns Waterford castle and is developing the Ard Ri hotel in line with North Quays/Michael St. Project has purchased the land and is developing it at a total 20 year investment of €1 BILLION. The investment will include 1500+ high end apartments. Pools and restaurants. With the greenway almost running directly through it and having had close to 300’000 visitors since opening it’s a good opportunity for a development of this type. The beginning of the construction will happen approx 2022 once North Quays is completed. I’ve met with Seamus before and he is extremely motivated and committed to this city. The whole development still has to go to planning etc and will most likely have to deal with the same issues the North Quays project did so this is the very beginning. None the less it’s inspiring to see people put so much faith into our city. If we can all get behind both projects whilst focusing on our commitment to other challenges such as Cardiac care and building more houses so people can enjoy the next twenty years here of Waterford progression then we won’t be doing to bad at all. Well done to Seamus and his partners and I’ll keep you all updated when I hear more.

From councillar Adam Wyse

BBM77 wrote: »

The grinding pessimism can be given a rest at this stage. Contacts are signed, a building has been bought to use as project offices, all stage goals have been met. I don’t even know what an old picture of a unsuccessful and completely unrelated plan in Bilberry has to do with the North Quays!

.

hardybuck

BBM77 wrote: »

The grinding pessimism can be given a rest at this stage. Contacts are signed, a building has been bought to use as project offices, all stage goals have been met. I don’t even know what an old picture of a unsuccessful and completely unrelated plan in Bilberry has to do with the North Quays!

Pessimism - absolutely not. A couple of us are trying to be realistic.

Talking about investing a billion over 20 years is absolute garbage. Absolutely meaningless figures. The reference was to indicate that there were massive plans before that weren't realisable just to show how difficult these projects are to pursue. I might spend €2bn on it myself over the next 50 years.

I'd love to see that site developed though - I think it'd really open up the Gracedieu area to further development, and link in the Green Way with the city centre finally.

fricatus

robcass78 wrote: »

There's private funding there on-the-deck for the Airport. Has been since April.

It's been waiting on Shane Ross to make a decision. Months.

:mad:

What sort of decision Rob?

dzilla

fricatus wrote: »

:mad:

What sort of decision Rob?

https://www.wlrfm.com/2018/08/09/transport-minister-shane-ross-receives-waterford-airport-review/

invara

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/plan-for-waterford-airport-future-being-slow-walked-874774.html

Harry Palmr

Some clickable pix and words on Muster Express website

http://www.munster-express.ie/front-page-news/quays-unlocked/

Motivator

I think everyone is getting carried away with all of these ambitious plans and apparent billion euro investments in the city. Waterford has no industry of note and it will never attract any multinationals that will give jobs to hundreds and hundreds of people. Yes, we have Genzyme and Westpharma but we don’t have a Microsoft, a Vodafone, a PWC where there are hundreds of highly skilled and highly paid workers. If you look at any mid twenty something person who is ambitious career wise, they are in Dublin. Waterford has nothing for these people and it never has had. What can the city offer any local who has an Economics and Finance degree? Or someone with a degree in Accountancy? A friend of mine is a qualified accountant and in the last 18 months there has been one job that has been advertised in the city and county that he would have been willing to take. He wants to move back to Waterford and buy a house but wasnt willing to take a job that will cut his take home pay each year in half. I know four college graduates from the last couple of years, all of whom have honors degrees in Economics and Finance from both UCC and UCD. They would like to come home and work in Waterford but again, there’s nothing here for them. What can Waterford offer its young people? Eishtec? Work in factories like B&L? I know these are good local employers but these aren’t places where people can go and build a long term career. Waterford is an industrial city and our long term problem is that we had it so good for so long with Waterford Crystal. The glass factory was seen as a gravy train for a huge percentage of the population in Waterford and many people who are now in their mid to late 30s are stuck in low skilled, low paying jobs because they thought they’d come straight from school and jump on the gravy train like their parents did 30 years before.

Waterford got nailed in the recession and felt the effects of it harder and longer than any other “big city” in Ireland because there was little to no diversity in the jobs and businesses that were on offer. I could name 100+ people that I personally know that lost their jobs in clothes shops and factories around Waterford. There isn’t a big enough spread of varying companies or jobs appealing to highly skilled or highly educated workers. None of these ambitious plans for retail, high end apartment blocks or fancy hotels will ever come to fruition because the city just doesn’t have the appeal or jobs which can offer the the high disposable income necessary to make these proposed projects a realistic success.

Before anyone jumps down my throat or belittles my post, sit back and think about it for a second. We have one of the most ambitious retail and hospitality projects ever seen in the country that is proposed for a city that offers absolutely nothing to the proposition’s target market. I love Waterford and so does my wife, I come home every chance possible with her from Cork but I can’t see how any of this is going to be a success.

Johnboy1951

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Some clickable pix and words on Muster Express website

http://www.munster-express.ie/front-page-news/quays-unlocked/

Nice very positive interview ....... Rob is a good promoter

I know that the pics are only an 'artisist's impression' ..... but nevertheless I am disappointed at the number of steps shown without obvious access for the less able of our society, such as elderly, infirm and people with disability.
Hopefully equal access will be available for all members of society to all areas of the new builds.

Harry Palmr

Yeah they're doing this on a mad hunch obviously. Spare me this economic illiteracy.

engiweirdo

Motivator wrote: »

I can’t see how any of this is going to be a success.

Unless there are some serious anchor tenants in the office space from the start AND manufacturing/tech growth about 10x what we normally get. Then the money/people wont be there to support retail. Will wait and see for now tbh. But the way things are currently, theres a reason Penneys is the only shop in town always packed.

dzilla

Motivator wrote: »

I think everyone is getting carried away with all of these ambitious plans and apparent billion euro investments in the city. Waterford has no industry of note and it will never attract any multinationals that will give jobs to hundreds and hundreds of people. Yes, we have Genzyme and Westpharma but we don’t have a Microsoft, a Vodafone, a PWC where there are hundreds of highly skilled and highly paid workers. If you look at any mid twenty something person who is ambitious career wise, they are in Dublin. Waterford has nothing for these people and it never has had. What can the city offer any local who has an Economics and Finance degree? Or someone with a degree in Accountancy? A friend of mine is a qualified accountant and in the last 18 months there has been one job that has been advertised in the city and county that he would have been willing to take. He wants to move back to Waterford and buy a house but wasnt willing to take a job that will cut his take home pay each year in half. I know four college graduates from the last couple of years, all of whom have honors degrees in Economics and Finance from both UCC and UCD. They would like to come home and work in Waterford but again, there’s nothing here for them. What can Waterford offer its young people? Eishtec? Work in factories like B&L? I know these are good local employers but these aren’t places where people can go and build a long term career. Waterford is an industrial city and our long term problem is that we had it so good for so long with Waterford Crystal. The glass factory was seen as a gravy train for a huge percentage of the population in Waterford and many people who are now in their mid to late 30s are stuck in low skilled, low paying jobs because they thought they’d come straight from school and jump on the gravy train like their parents did 30 years before.

Waterford got nailed in the recession and felt the effects of it harder and longer than any other “big city” in Ireland because there was little to no diversity in the jobs and businesses that were on offer. I could name 100+ people that I personally know that lost their jobs in clothes shops and factories around Waterford. There isn’t a big enough spread of varying companies or jobs appealing to highly skilled or highly educated workers. None of these ambitious plans for retail, high end apartment blocks or fancy hotels will ever come to fruition because the city just doesn’t have the appeal or jobs which can offer the the high disposable income necessary to make these proposed projects a realistic success.

Before anyone jumps down my throat or belittles my post, sit back and think about it for a second. We have one of the most ambitious retail and hospitality projects ever seen in the country that is proposed for a city that offers absolutely nothing to the proposition’s target market. I love Waterford and so does my wife, I come home every chance possible with her from Cork but I can’t see how any of this is going to be a success.

Nail on the head

gw80

Motivator wrote: »

I think everyone is getting carried away with all of these ambitious plans and apparent billion euro investments in the city. Waterford has no industry of note and it will never attract any multinationals that will give jobs to hundreds and hundreds of people. Yes, we have Genzyme and Westpharma but we don’t have a Microsoft, a Vodafone, a PWC where there are hundreds of highly skilled and highly paid workers. If you look at any mid twenty something person who is ambitious career wise, they are in Dublin. Waterford has nothing for these people and it never has had. What can the city offer any local who has an Economics and Finance degree? Or someone with a degree in Accountancy? A friend of mine is a qualified accountant and in the last 18 months there has been one job that has been advertised in the city and county that he would have been willing to take. He wants to move back to Waterford and buy a house but wasnt willing to take a job that will cut his take home pay each year in half. I know four college graduates from the last couple of years, all of whom have honors degrees in Economics and Finance from both UCC and UCD. They would like to come home and work in Waterford but again, there’s nothing here for them. What can Waterford offer its young people? Eishtec? Work in factories like B&L? I know these are good local employers but these aren’t places where people can go and build a long term career. Waterford is an industrial city and our long term problem is that we had it so good for so long with Waterford Crystal. The glass factory was seen as a gravy train for a huge percentage of the population in Waterford and many people who are now in their mid to late 30s are stuck in low skilled, low paying jobs because they thought they’d come straight from school and jump on the gravy train like their parents did 30 years before.

Waterford got nailed in the recession and felt the effects of it harder and longer than any other “big city” in Ireland because there was little to no diversity in the jobs and businesses that were on offer. I could name 100+ people that I personally know that lost their jobs in clothes shops and factories around Waterford. There isn’t a big enough spread of varying companies or jobs appealing to highly skilled or highly educated workers. None of these ambitious plans for retail, high end apartment blocks or fancy hotels will ever come to fruition because the city just doesn’t have the appeal or jobs which can offer the the high disposable income necessary to make these proposed projects a realistic success.

Before anyone jumps down my throat or belittles my post, sit back and think about it for a second. We have one of the most ambitious retail and hospitality projects ever seen in the country that is proposed for a city that offers absolutely nothing to the proposition’s target market. I love Waterford and so does my wife, I come home every chance possible with her from Cork but I can’t see how any of this is going to be a success.

So that's it then is it?. let's not even try?
Shall we all just pack up our stuff and head off to Dublin or cork like the refugee caravan headed for the USA boarder, may as well burn the place to the ground and blow up the bridges on our way off shall we?

Well for some, we can't all make it to the big time in cork.

engiweirdo

gw80 wrote: »

Motivator wrote: »

I think everyone is getting carried away with all of these ambitious plans and apparent billion euro investments in the city. Waterford has no industry of note and it will never attract any multinationals that will give jobs to hundreds and hundreds of people. Yes, we have Genzyme and Westpharma but we don’t have a Microsoft, a Vodafone, a PWC where there are hundreds of highly skilled and highly paid workers. If you look at any mid twenty something person who is ambitious career wise, they are in Dublin. Waterford has nothing for these people and it never has had. What can the city offer any local who has an Economics and Finance degree? Or someone with a degree in Accountancy? A friend of mine is a qualified accountant and in the last 18 months there has been one job that has been advertised in the city and county that he would have been willing to take. He wants to move back to Waterford and buy a house but wasnt willing to take a job that will cut his take home pay each year in half. I know four college graduates from the last couple of years, all of whom have honors degrees in Economics and Finance from both UCC and UCD. They would like to come home and work in Waterford but again, there’s nothing here for them. What can Waterford offer its young people? Eishtec? Work in factories like B&L? I know these are good local employers but these aren’t places where people can go and build a long term career. Waterford is an industrial city and our long term problem is that we had it so good for so long with Waterford Crystal. The glass factory was seen as a gravy train for a huge percentage of the population in Waterford and many people who are now in their mid to late 30s are stuck in low skilled, low paying jobs because they thought they’d come straight from school and jump on the gravy train like their parents did 30 years before.

Waterford got nailed in the recession and felt the effects of it harder and longer than any other “big city” in Ireland because there was little to no diversity in the jobs and businesses that were on offer. I could name 100+ people that I personally know that lost their jobs in clothes shops and factories around Waterford. There isn’t a big enough spread of varying companies or jobs appealing to highly skilled or highly educated workers. None of these ambitious plans for retail, high end apartment blocks or fancy hotels will ever come to fruition because the city just doesn’t have the appeal or jobs which can offer the the high disposable income necessary to make these proposed projects a realistic success.

Before anyone jumps down my throat or belittles my post, sit back and think about it for a second. We have one of the most ambitious retail and hospitality projects ever seen in the country that is proposed for a city that offers absolutely nothing to the proposition’s target market. I love Waterford and so does my wife, I come home every chance possible with her from Cork but I can’t see how any of this is going to be a success.

So that's it then is it?. let's not even try?
Shall we all just pack up our stuff and head off to Dublin or cork like the refugee caravan headed for the USA boarder, may as well burn the place to the ground and blow up the bridges on our way off shall we?

Well for some, we can't all make it to the big time in cork.

Think it's honestly more a case of : this better work as there is absolutely nothing else of note in the pipeline for Waterford.

And that is very troubling. The reality is that it will struggle unless it is mirrored by investment from other sources or become the new "glass factory" in that the city ends up utterly dependent on it's success/failure. We have no Ringaskiddy or Great Island, just a smattering of smallish industries ticking along.

dzilla

gw80 wrote: »

So that's it then is it?. let's not even try?
Shall we all just pack up our stuff and head off to Dublin or cork like the refugee caravan headed for the USA boarder, may as well burn the place to the ground and blow up the bridges on our way off shall we?

Well for some, we can't all make it to the big time in cork.

What a sh1t reply to a great post.

Max Powers

Amazing isn't it...something positive happening and people knocking it before it starts, usual few, even more amazing some of the usual lads looking for work at the same time, just time old spreading their own misery. It changed from, it will never happen..to...it will never work..truly pathetic.
The people behind it have done their sums on retail side and yes, hopefully offices will bring jobs too and other knock ons. Totally get what a previous poster said about all the 'office type' jobs in Dublin for twenty somethings, know a lot of lads older than twenty something that are coming back, taking a pay cut possibly but quality of life incredibly better, did it myself.
Just to add, I'd recommend to anyone who wants to come back from Dublin to live in Waterford, definitely worth it but yeah realistically your job search should be including other areas of SE, likes of MSD, Boston, etc in clonmel, KK, wex same.

gw80

dzilla wrote: »

What a sh1t reply to a great post.

Well it was all misery and no ideas. Yes there was is truth in the post, but what are we supposed to do? Turn down this investment? And wait for the government to start investing in Waterford, we'll be waiting.
Have you got any thing in the pipeline for Waterford?.
Whatever way this turns out, it's good to see some people aren't willing to just lie down and die so easily.

City's change, the way they are now is not the way they have always been and they don't have to stay the same as they are right now.

CalamariFritti

Motivator wrote: »

I think everyone is getting carried away with all of these ambitious plans and apparent billion euro investments in the city. Waterford has no industry of note and it will never attract any multinationals that will give jobs to hundreds and hundreds of people....

I for one work for a multinational in Waterford who employs hundreds of smart people with good jobs in a pretty serious IT organisation. I know of a few others maybe not quite as big as ourselves, but still. A lot going on in and around the WIT, too. The IT landscape isn't bad for a city of 50,000.

Motivator

gw80 wrote: »

So that's it then is it?. let's not even try?
Shall we all just pack up our stuff and head off to Dublin or cork like the refugee caravan headed for the USA boarder, may as well burn the place to the ground and blow up the bridges on our way off shall we?

Well for some, we can't all make it to the big time in cork.

Well I think the better option would be to start at a smaller project, let’s say 10% of the proposed project. That’s €30 million to get something off the ground. Jobs will still be created and a new €30m development would be started. When is the last time there was even €3m invested in Waterford? Starting a €300m project where there is literally nothing to use as a reference point i.e a smaller project that was a big success is just madness in my opinion. Why go all out and build one of the biggest projects, if not the biggest, in a city that is absolutely dead on its feet? It just doesn’t make sense. If this gets the go ahead I cannot see how they’re going to fill it with premium retail names. Let’s take the Tommy Hilfiger shop in Waterford. I try and give them business whenever I can but it’s a once in every few months purchase I’ll be making. A friend of mine works close to it and he’s always in there but he has admitted he never buys anything. Trade is slow enough in there by all accounts. Now, if people can’t afford to shop in Tommy Hilfiger, let’s be honest not everyone can - myself included which is why it’s the odd purchase when I’m in the city, then how do we expect multiple premium brand stores to do well in a shopping centre than spans I don’t know how many thousand square feet? As someone above has mentioned, Penny’s is the only retail space in Waterford city centre that’s anyway busy. What id like the city council to do is fix the problems in the CBD in town. Drop rates and get tenants in to the city centre again. The place is dead and it’s got no atmosphere. Instead, this new proposed development is a vanity project for the city council. They want their name in lights by the look of things.

Would it be such a terrible idea to improve the city centre, then build a small development worth around €30 m and if that takes off then keep adding to it? If the city centre was revamped and a smaller, but still expensive new development, was successful then we’d see more and more interest in the city. What I’m fearful of is that they’re going to take one Hail Mary shot at this and when it fails, which it will because there’s not enough money or people in the city to justify it or make it work, then the city is going to be in serious trouble.

Lastly, make it big in Cork? There’s no need for a snide comment. I moved to Cork when I met my now wife. I work my hole off down here and I get back home as much as I can. I’d love to be back in Waterford but guess what - I can’t find a job there which goes back to my original point.

Waterboy2014

Motivator wrote: »

Well I think the better option would be to start at a smaller project, let’s say 10% of the proposed project. That’s €30 million to get something off the ground. Jobs will still be created and a new €30m development would be started. When is the last time there was even €3m invested in Waterford? Starting a €300m project where there is literally nothing to use as a reference point i.e a smaller project that was a big success is just madness in my opinion. Why go all out and build one of the biggest projects, if not the biggest, in a city that is absolutely dead on its feet? It just doesn’t make sense. If this gets the go ahead I cannot see how they’re going to fill it with premium retail names. Let’s take the Tommy Hilfiger shop in Waterford. I try and give them business whenever I can but it’s a once in every few months purchase I’ll be making. A friend of mine works close to it and he’s always in there but he has admitted he never buys anything. Trade is slow enough in there by all accounts. Now, if people can’t afford to shop in Tommy Hilfiger, let’s be honest not everyone can - myself included which is why it’s the odd purchase when I’m in the city, then how do we expect multiple premium brand stores to do well in a shopping centre than spans I don’t know how many thousand square feet? As someone above has mentioned, Penny’s is the only retail space in Waterford city centre that’s anyway busy. What id like the city council to do is fix the problems in the CBD in town. Drop rates and get tenants in to the city centre again. The place is dead and it’s got no atmosphere. Instead, this new proposed development is a vanity project for the city council. They want their name in lights by the look of things.

Would it be such a terrible idea to improve the city centre, then build a small development worth around €30 m and if that takes off then keep adding to it? If the city centre was revamped and a smaller, but still expensive new development, was successful then we’d see more and more interest in the city. What I’m fearful of is that they’re going to take one Hail Mary shot at this and when it fails, which it will because there’s not enough money or people in the city to justify it or make it work, then the city is going to be in serious trouble.

Lastly, make it big in Cork? There’s no need for a snide comment. I moved to Cork when I met my now wife. I work my hole off down here and I get back home as much as I can. I’d love to be back in Waterford but guess what - I can’t find a job there which goes back to my originayl point.

Waterford is actually the 7th wealthiest county in Ireland. There's loads of money but no one spends in the city as there is no where to spend. As it currently stands, not many locals or tourists travel to Waterford City for retail. I'm assuming the developers have done the sums and realise that there's a huge potential for profit. They are hardly investing €300million without having thought it through. Come on!

And from my reading of the development, the plan is it would draw a regional population (that is currently leaking out to Dundrum, Cork) but would also draw both national and international tourists for the visitor centre ( expanded Waterford Crystal, Food Market), hotel, Greenway, and connectivity to historic Waterford core.

I personally think this is a fantastic idea. I'm not from Waterford but have been living here for 6 years and have always thought that there's so much potential for such an opportunity. I just never thought it would materialise. So here's hoping it does.