Limerick city centre (Urban Renewal discusion and updates)

mysterious

This is good good

Probably the best news since the Riverpoint, how exciting a new shopping street in Limerick and guess what in the city, and it will give the city a chance to breathe in new big stores that is currently been funnelled out in the burbs,

Cruises Street is a success but not big enough to pull in the mass like Patrick’s street or Shop Street in Galway as it’s to small.
But a second shopping street only a stone throw away and linking the Bedford row retail complex of 14 shops and possibly a 5 star hotel and the pedstrainsation of Bedford row

Seriously this is exciting, more so than anything built around the city to date

Any news on the Rutland Ellen street proposals????
I know there are few developments popping up and a superpub etc, how is Willie O Dea handling this project he was supposedly playing an active part in it
he such ever pleasing nicy nicey airhead, sorry lads hes just a waster, he has no authortiy or skills to be a politican when considering hes in Government

colettuce

Lived in Limerick for the first 23 years of my life and the place has really come on in leaps and bounds in the past 10 years. A lot of the city looks great, but the place is still seriously lacking in that certain je ne sais quoi, mostly atmosphere! I think the main thing Limerick needs really badly is a centre or a square, a knacker-free place for people to go and hang out with some nice pubs & cafes. Any attempts the coucil have made to do this have all gonne horribly wrong in my opinion - Arthur's Quay is too far away from the main shopping area and a knacker's paradise, the square with Tate's clock that they redevloped is also too far away and has nothing in it except Tate's Clock! Cruise's Street is too small, has no good shops and no nice cafes. I hate being down on Limerick because it always gets such a hard time, but it really needs a central area that will draw people, like Eyre Square, or even the centre square in Waterford. Its definately not very tourist friendly

IceHawk

That seems like a really good idea. Unfortunately it's unlikely to ever happen unless they decide to level half of arthurs quay or something. Actually, If the rumours I heard months ago about penny's moving were true, then they could knock down that and Burger king and put a square in there. Probably not very feasible though.

billy the squid

Finally found out what they were building outside the raheen industrial estate. Its going to be a QBC. it would seem that the County Council at least know what they're doing.

Also it looks like someone is moving into that building on the raheen roundabout on the opposite side to Caseys furniture shop. There have been lights on inside the building on occasional days during this week. I think you know the building, the funny triangle shaped one accross the road from the raheen industrial estate bus stop.

Amazotheamazing

It's been asked several times but how do you change the atmosphere of a city?

We do have a scumbag problem in this city, we have an esteem problem, we've no civic pride and a poor, crap council. Christ sometimes I think it'll take until Limerick win the All-Ireland until this city feels good about itself.

mysterious

Agreed on all points about the lacking of atmosphere.

It really comes down to bad planning. Arthur’s quay is a total failure!
Decent developments are all fine but don't seem to complement each other.
For example Cruises street and Georges site??? Limerick is like a pet shop, everything is out of reach!
One-minute brick was god on every development, now building anywhere in the city is god, now high-rise or Apartments.

Bedford Row is major progress to date, but it still gives you a pain in the spine as it doesn’t seem to get a central or feeling lively space its to far from the shopping core???? Why can't the council bloody get it right, plan it out, find out what is and what isn’t?
Cruises Street is to small/far off to act as a natural extension to the shopping cafe culture; O’Connell’s street is a disgrace at the moment. The problem is Limerick is one of those cities that things are all over the place Penny’s a half an hour away from Dunne’s walking from one end to the other to get from A to B building in irregularity. Cafe is hard to find or well no area seems to have a Cafe culture because it’s like the Milky Way! where are the seats to relax is there any open space in the city ????,Every city has a core Limerick is just resembles a doughnut despite some improvements. Whatever pops out of your head everything makes a difference whether positive or not onto to the Atmosphere in the city and Limerick

mysterious

I thought i'd bring up a new topic to this city that has been a great image booster.

High rise agenda
The Clarion
Riverpoint
high rise hotel on Ennis road

There is land around the Docks which is in the boundary and is mostly a wastland, would they develop a new quarter there, I know they have put up ideas and plans, but anything happening out of this, this area could hold thousands of ppl and maybe push this small town up to 60,000 and just beat Waterford by the next census, well anyway Is there anymore high rise proprasals for Limerick in the near future???

mysterious

After such a big success of the Clarion and the Riverpoint and phase 2 currently underway , which will have the St Munchins knocked for a spankier building and a fraction taller than the old office junk. the new building will complement and put the finishing touches to the Riverpoint.:)

Is there anymore proprosals for more high rise in the city, Is there any likely sites around the riverside for more high rises , which is ideal for tall buildings.

Nny positive comments...

bazz26

The old filling station next to the Limerick 95FM building on the Dock road is being built into a hotel. Don't know how tall it is going to be though, probably around the same hight as the adjacent buildings.

1huge1

I guess this is the end for limerick high rise boom...
a whole 2 buildings
i already see cork passing us out with all there new buildings on the river lee

limerick_man

Well theres the new developments in the Dockland area, they are still inviting developers in there. Plus when the area around Arthurs Quay is being redone!so there is hope.... but i think that its postive only as lond as its by our river front!!!

1huge1

ya but there not going to be the height of the clarion and the riverpoint are they?

Amazotheamazing

You're a bitter pill aren't you huge1? There's an eight story hotel being built on the old Jurys site, and the ESB site has just come on the market so chances are there'll be a new building there too.

Deadlocked

Amazotheamazing wrote:

You're a bitter pill aren't you huge1? There's an eight story hotel being built on the old Jurys site, and the ESB site has just come on the market so chances are there'll be a new building there too.

Yep he sure is.

billy the squid

bazz26 wrote:

The old filling station next to the Limerick 95FM building on the Dock road is being built into a hotel. Don't know how tall it is going to be though, probably around the same hight as the adjacent buildings.

six stories. to the best of my knowledge it is to be owned by the same people as the Clarion, and is to be a "yellow pack" clarion, less expensive than the original. Can't see it being that big though, there isnt a hell of a lot of space there.

1huge1 wrote:

I guess this is the end for limerick high rise boom...
a whole 2 buildings
i already see cork passing us out with all there new buildings on the river lee

Cork is bigger, it has the population to support large buildings like that so it only seems natural that they would be going up at a faster rate than Limerick.

As for it being the end for limerick with regard to high rises, I could be the end for everywhere as the tax incentives which resulted in Riverpoint being built expire in mid 2006. so unless there is a similar scheme, which suspect there will be, then there wont be as many developments anywhere.

Now as for high rises, to the best of my knowledge there is a 10 story building going up at present behind the AIB bank on O'Connell street. There is also a building going up near the corner of O'Connell Street, and Mallow Street. Have no idea how high it is going to be as I only seen the crain (complete with christmas lights) tonight, and it was quite high.

I have still to find out how high the hotel at punches cross is going to be. The craine on the site isnt that high so i wouldnt expect it to be that high.

There is also another hotel going up near the enterprise centre on the Roxboro road.

You're a bitter pill aren't you huge1?

we'll have less of that. thanks.

There's an eight story hotel being built on the old Jurys site, and the ESB site has just come on the market so chances are there'll be a new building there too.

let us not forget the George being redone.

Deadlocked wrote:

Yep he sure is.

less of that from you as well.

Amazotheamazing

Sorry Billy and 1Huge1.

bazz26

billy the squid wrote:

There is also another hotel going up near the enterprise centre on the Roxboro road.

Is that the construction site on the old Krups property? I thought it was another shopping centre.

irishguy

bazz26 wrote:

Is that the construction site on the old Krups property? I thought it was another shopping centre.

its a new really cool looking hotel and some retail units [Aldi being the main one]

1huge1

Amazotheamazing wrote:

Sorry Billy and 1Huge1.

ya i got banned for a while for saying something like that
anyway im just trying to be realistic

billy the squid

irishguy wrote:

its a new really cool looking hotel and some retail units [Aldi being the main one]

are there any CGI renders of it availible online?

irishguy

mabey there was an Insert in the Leader about month ago showing pics.
have a look at http://www.archiseek.com/content/forumdisplay.php?f=15 they might have pics

gaf1983

billy the squid wrote:

six stories. to the best of my knowledge it is to be owned by the same people as the Clarion, and is to be a "yellow pack" clarion, less expensive than the original. Can't see it being that big though, there isnt a hell of a lot of space there.

As far as I know the old Ardhu Ryan is now owned by the Clarion where they're developing an aparthotel. Are you sure the Clarion owns the Dock Road one too? I thought I heard it was going to be a Holiday Inn.


Hopefully Limerick's buildings will continue going upwards, tall buildings are far more efficient than miles and miles of low-density poorly serviced housing estates as we're used to in this country.

billy the squid

Hopefully Limerick's buildings will continue going upwards, tall buildings are far more efficient than miles and miles of low-density poorly serviced housing estates as we're used to in this country.

I would agree with this, take a look at Glenlara house on Mount kennet. the equivilent of O'Malley park fits into one city block. and the apartments themselves are comparable in size to a small house.

Tiriel

Is high rise really practical or is it just a fashion thing though? I mean it does make more sense to a point, build up not out.. but does it mean that all new buildings should be competing as to which one is the tallest?

Do you like highrise buildings? I mean look at County Hall in Cork.. what a horrible building before it was recently done up. It aged so badly, and really had no context in its location. Stuck out like a sore thumb. Looks much better now, more integrated with its surroundings.

I really like the Clarion, but I'm sceptical that highrise buildings dotted along the Limerick skyline is a positive move.

billy the squid

Cork_girl wrote:

Is high rise really practical or is it just a fashion thing though? I mean it does make more sense to a point, build up not out.. but does it mean that all new buildings should be competing as to which one is the tallest?

To be honest though, with the city running out of space to develop, does the council have much of a choice other than to encourage developments that build up rather than out.

Do you like highrise buildings? I mean look at County Hall in Cork.. what a horrible building before it was recently done up. It aged so badly, and really had no context in its location. Stuck out like a sore thumb. Looks much better now, more integrated with its surroundings.

Was every inch of space needed for County hall, and what would have been the alternative? I mean, Dublin is a bigger city, does County hall have a bigger floorspace than Dublin's city hall, even though there are more people living in Dublin City than there are in Cork County.

As an aside, where is Cork City Hall?

I really like the Clarion, but I'm sceptical that highrise buildings dotted along the Limerick skyline is a positive move.

the example I quoted above is only six storeys high. but it takes up a larger area than most buildings. It contains 600 apartments (1,2,and 3 bedroom) and unlike Southhill, its location in the city centre means that all amenities are within walking distance.

Tiriel

To be honest though, with the city running out of space to develop, does the council have much of a choice other than to encourage developments that build up rather than out.

yep agree there, fair enough, I just fear that in 10 / 20 years time they will look dated and out of place. Basically I really think they should be planned properly, and not done for economic reasons only.

Was every inch of space needed for County hall, and what would have been the alternative? I mean, Dublin is a bigger city, does County hall have a bigger floorspace than Dublin's city hall, even though there are more people living in Dublin City than there are in Cork County.

As an aside, where is Cork City Hall?

ok that just confuses me!!:o County Hall was designed as an architectural feat. That's pretty much it.. it was going to be the tallest building in Ireland.. and that was the primary goal of its design.
City Hall is over the bridge from the train station.. say as you are going towards Patrick St., facing the river.

its location in the city centre means that all amenities are within walking distance.

excellent point. Pity more developments don't take this into account.

mysterious

Well rather than been negative, "why people knock everything off the shelf when it was just built"


High Rise or high density has only begun, and the results were fantastic. Limerick is proud to have one Ireland's to leading towers!

The ryan Hotel was meant to be 12 storeys but they took a floor or two off that, not sure the exact amount at present.

Though there is high density in been proposed in the Old greenpark racecourse site, many apartments, we could see maybe 8 to 10 storey's but not nothing significant.

the hotel on the Dock road will be 5/6 storeys maximunm, nearly sure it said 6 storeys, but that ain't high anyways.

I personally think Limerick will benifet with high rise develelopment considering the aspect of the area, the Shannon which makes it spot on for buildings of this height to go up beside the river.

There is very little land in the city and if the city can't be allowed to spread they should have more reasons than ever to be alowed build up!


Set back level of the Bedford Row Redevelopment will be 10 storey's and
the ESB site is a wishful site for something exciting or something equivalent to the Riverpoint maybe. That would put Limericks riverfront on worlwide scale. I'm not exaggerating, there is nothing more fantastic than have a few sleek towers on the River edge, and the Clarion and Riveropoint are mirriroing that, another one would give this city a lot more confidese and strenght as a place to live & work etc. I. e giving the city a better image and there will
be reason's to prove that. This a major step be a step in the right direction as it will ease pressure from the boundary issue and the stab city name,
What do you think?


I'm not a fan of the Cork county hall, but they have made a few improvements to it and the overall struture is to be renovated. I have seen pictures and it looks a hell of a lot better.

billy the squid

incedentily there were lights on in the upper levels of the river point building tonight as I passed. must say it looks quite well at night.

sioda

i already see cork passing us out with all there new buildings on the river lee


As anyone who has ever lived by the lee and by the Shannon the Shannon is a much nicer and smells better

1huge1

sioda wrote:

i already see cork passing us out with all there new buildings on the river lee


As anyone who has ever lived by the lee and by the Shannon the Shannon is a much nicer and smells better

ya i have to agree with you there
the lee is really starting to pass limerick out (or already has) when it comes to high rise buildings
the have about 4 at them moment (give or take) and are updating more buildings but they dont seem to be the height of the riverpoint but with the amount there getting thats were there really beating us