Limerick improvement projects

So what happened with NAC signing a lease for 91% of the building ? Was that lease agreement torn up as part of NAC's Chapter 11

Poses big questions on the opera centre if they cannot lease fully Gardens International

The letting of the 'Gardens International' was a complete disaster. They leased the entire building which has a capacity for 750 staff to a company that employed around 70 people at the time they moved across the street from Chandler House. Now there was nothing stopping NAC from sub-letting surplus floors, which is what they've done.

But to have such low occupancy in a building which was completed at the taxpayers expense and one which was continually championed by Limerick 2030 as being integral to bringing vibrancy and much needed extra footfall to this part of the city centre is extremely embarrassing. Of course this would never be acknowledged by Limerick 2030 who are extremely sensitive to criticism. They'd be better off moving the Revenue (who have no requirement for the vast quantum of office space at the opera site) to the unoccupied floors at Gardens International instead of building that monstrosity of a tower which is going to deface Bank Place, the Abbey river quayside and views of the Hunt Museum, Mary's Cathedral etc.

A lot of office movement going on. Clearance work started a few was ago over by norther trust too. The 4th block as its referred to is due to start soon. Is there a need for all this office space?

That is what I was told by a Limerick 2030 representative previously but considering the levels of spin and spoof spouted by that organisation, you couldn't trust the information. They did announce in July 2019 that 'LTT has signed a long lease agreement with Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), the largest regional aircraft lessor in the world, to expand the lease it signed last September for 51% to over 90% of the 112,000sq ft site.' That was before NAC's financial troubles in 2020 though.

What is certainly clear is that they haven't been able to let the double height space at the corner of Henry Street and Glentworth Street since Hook & Ladder pulled out of the lease over two years ago. It's being marketed since then as a cafe/retail/office opportunity with negotiable rent so clearly interest in the space has been limited. Another cafe is planned for the new apartment building beside the former Bank of Ireland just up the street.

The ones in plassey are already moved over. HM&V have moved into their old building in plassey. Driving in along looks like 2 floors in the section nearest the Rd are empty and AMCS occupy a floor or 2 in it too..

That's the main route students use to get from the motorway to UL. I can see that going very very badly

Conditional PP Granted for construction of a residential development comprising of 28 No. Apartments which will be located within 4 separate blocks at the old woodworker store (Astor cinema) in sexton street north, thomondgate

i believe the site is to be sold on with PP

Interestingly the council requested further information within 6 months of December 20th 2022, which by their own records wasn't received until September 27th 2023, over 9 months later...

Council and greedy developer not following the rules is a good ground for an appeal to An Bord Pleanala and the council have left themselves wide open for it

Ah fair enough so, didn't see that document, grand total of 2 objections towards it as well so obviously the majority of locals are on board

It's just a re-submission of the same plans from a year ago. That application fell down on the lack of a Natura Impact Statement. The design is incredibly bland though and I would have thought that the use of brick or stone reflecting both the existing and historic palette of materials along the canal would have been a better approach.

I am not a construction expert but I've been told that there were 2 significant concrete pours at the Opera site, 400 square metres and over 700 square metres. Presumably that means that foundation work is progressing well and that relatively soon we might some construction work on one of principal buildings. That would a red letter day imo.

It's great to see that area being developed, often thought that the Iceland unit at Watch House Cross might have been better suited to there but residential property might be better use of the area

Will be interesting to see what happens now with the Iceland unit in Watch House Cross that Aldi are building a store that side of the city. Doubt another supermarket retailer would want to replace Iceland there with Aldi opening out there.