Waterford North Quays

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121795439#Comment_121795439

Waterford City Bypass, Thomas Francis Meagher Bridge, Waterford Main Drainage, Motorway to Dublin, Outer Ring Road, Dunmore Wing, New Mortuary, second Cath lab, Opthalmology Theatre,UHW etc. There is a fairly long list, `but I do agree that delivery, other than North Quays has been constricted under Fine Gael. FF and Greens now suffering from the same disease. Will people still vote for John Cummins and Mary Butler and M O'Cathasaigh?

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121796611#Comment_121796611

I don't know if it's fair to start throwing out statements like that here. The constant moaning about the Government in so many threads isn't the most productive.

It looks like the Council have worked very hard to make this happen and they've already started to do things like the public transport bridge utilising a €170m funding package that the Government provided.

The Council decided to end the contract with the previous private sector developer because they had failed to deliver upon their contractual commitments. A second contract has been entered into with an Irish company with a solid track record.

Maybe people just need to acknowledge that this is a really tricky site to develop. Maybe the Council would just be better off putting it up for sale and let the highest bidder come in and develop it.

JohnC.

What is actually being built over there now, other than the bridge? There's some sort of structure going up just down from the PT bridge.

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121797019#Comment_121797019

It's hard to know whether you are right or wrong. I believe the latter but tried to acknowledge things that have been delivered in the past two decades. The North Quays is very welcome and will eventually lead to some development on the public site there. It does seem to me that since FG arrived on the scene in 2011 that we have seen projects, very few in number, but even the North Quays, delivered very, very slowly. Would the Saudis have stuck with quicker new infrastructure delivery? If we do not complain about government what does that mean? A tacit signal of approval? That we are all delighted with the relatively small scale delivery we have seen? The non development of SETU and the failure to allocate any real capital spending over the past 15 years to WIT is reprehensible.

When FG had two seats we got precious little. When FG have no seat we get precious little (North Quays delivered by an FF minister?). The airport is a scandal. Where is the new IDA industry? Where is the major investment required for UHW? These are the things that have been delivered in quantity to Limerick and Galway and elsewhere. Is there sufficient time after four years of government, before the next election, to do anything?

Explain to me what is to be gained by voting for any of our present government reps. I can't see the logic.

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121797258#Comment_121797258

new train station / "integrated transport hub"

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121797335#Comment_121797335

This is a thread about the North Quays and it feels like every thread just turns into a moan about politics. The Government has provided €170m in funding and it's up to the Council and the developer now to get on with it.

If the Council (not the TDs) can't make a good go of it at this stage they should sell the thing and spend the money on something else.

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121798074#Comment_121798074

Not unreasonable I suppose, you do have a point. Maybe people feel the status of the city fairly acutely and believe it is being eroded by government. Council CEO is believed to be retiring in May/June. If nothing emerges before then well....

Valhalla90

Construction of the new train station!

914

I think from day 1 the chances of getting a developer to develop the site is slim to none until the bridge, infrastructure and transport hub are in place and operational.

I think once these are complete we'll see a developer come onboard as the site becomes far more attractive.

I'd rather wait another year or two for a developer and hopefully a developer that will truly transform the area, the last thing we want is get someone in who wants to throw something up and we're left with nothing but apartments and a few centra shops.

Teebor15

Are ye all not getting abit ahead of yourselves with the doom and gloom. I realise Haecourt are a few months late on publishing their design but its a fairly large development and there could be many reasons for the delay. If they were no longer going to develop it surely we'd know by now. The local media would have it snuffed out or had it leaked to them and it would be out there. I wouldn't panic even if we have to wait another few months. I'm not saying they'll definitely be the ones to develop the site but until I hear otherwise I'd keep the faith for another while anyway.

Deiseen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121799296#Comment_121799296

As much as it would absolutely suck, It would be better in the long term if this happened and the mundane lack of vision (apartments, no retail) was replaced with something a little bit more exciting that could bring the city back up closer to the level of the other Irish cities.

ArtVandelay76

Traffic looks like it's going to be a nightmare for the next couple of months with the latest road layout.

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121800192#Comment_121800192

I think this argument about retail has also been done to death, and I'd caution against people putting too much expectation on it.

You can't have a proper city if very few people live in it or work in it. The lack of any life in Waterford beyond 5pm in the evening is one of the things which sets it apart from other cities.

What this development should do offer the city new space to grow sustainably and create a lot more density. It'll bring thousands more people into city center (where they'll spend money), it'll offer a new 4 star hotel (which is possibly the thing Waterford needs most), modern office space (there's hardly any of this at the moment) and the transport hub and new bridge will transform both that area and link up Ferrybank much better.

I'm really glad they moved away from building a shopping center that people from New Ross or Carrick would have driven to and then driven home from again. But maybe if they threw a Marks and Spencer in there all the retail problems would be solved!

decies

The project was initially going to be a game changer and if done right am sure it would have being for the region eh not just carrick or New Ross. I’d settle for bridge over to a nature park .To be honest think Covid was a convenient scapegoat for this whole project .

Flow Motion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801247#Comment_121801247

Agree 100+%. From the Briar Rose to the Bridge now appears to be single lane in both directions. Dunno who devised the traffic mgt plan for the development but its deffo not fit for purpose. Scheduling in tricky works during the school yr is idiotic. Especially when you take the Abbey College into account. There was plenty of space to manoeuvre it properly given that it was a dual carriageway, big paths, central reservation yet they have channeled everything into a meandering single lane model. Its causing back ups back from the present train station to the Abbey Pk turnoff as the 2 lane system allowing traffic to queue to turn right down Abbey Rd is now gone. Any traffic not going that way [i.e. past the Briar Rose to any other part of Ferrybank, Slieverue, New Ross etc] has to resort to snail like progress. TBH there doesnt seem much of a plan to the road diversions/construction etc. Its all very piecemeal. A little bit here. A little bit there. Close this. Close that. Could they not work during the night to minimise traffic disruption?? Other than bland WCCC newsletters everyone's in the dark : a like it or lump it approach. Its also quite dangerous for cyclists/pedestrians since the work commenced. Hardly any remaining street lighting from the Bridge to Rockshire Rd junction. So if the WCCC asks people to consider either to avoid the current delays than its a foolish ploy.

Also the current traffic light sequence @ the Bridge Hotel is pretty poor since all the work they did last. Only leaves 6/7 cars thru @ a go when goin thru form Quay turning onto Bridge. The WCCC like the optics of the Greenway pedestrian crossing. Much like the new train station. And the new pedestrian bridge. Apart from these is Waterford gonna be left with just a few new realigned roads, train station and Greenway(s)?

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801459#Comment_121801459

I agree to some extent, I'm happy to see little retail there if we have a proper plan and develop Michael St, keeping all retail south of the Suir.

The fear of having large retail on the NQs you run the risk of what is happening in Kilkenny due to McDonagh Junction.

People travel to McDonagh Junction, shop and leave not entering the town centre. The result town centre shops and struggling and closing.

I really love the idea of an SETU business school or some school on the North Quays with apartments, and large office spaces but I can never see a school locating there due to the purchase of the crystal site.

Deiseen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121801459#Comment_121801459

Out of interest, do you think the office space there is justified? There seems to be a similar drop in demand for office space, as there has for retail, but no one is saying that the office space should be done away with.

Waterford City is similarly completely lacking in quality office space as it is retail, so the arguments for / against both are very very similar.

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814000#Comment_121814000

I do, yeah.

There has definitely been a slump in demand in places like Dublin in particular partly due to the impact of hybrid working, but also an oversupply. You couldn't go anywhere in Dublin and not notice the volume of new office developments - and the total lack of residential.

But Waterford doesn't really have much Grade A office space in the city, and certainly not of any scale. It'll also realistically be 3-4 years before anything would be ready to move into at which point the slump is expected to be over.

It's mad to see professional services companies like PWC working out of a big 19th century house on the Dunmore Road.

I think a bigger company, professional services or some of the remote working providers, might be interested in having modern office space in a prominent site next to a bus and train station.

Deiseen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814151#Comment_121814151

Waterford doesn't have much Grade A retail space either.

Thousands of sqms short in any report I've seen.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814151#Comment_121814151

PWC probably not the best example, how many people work in PWC Waterford 20-30, although I do like your idea or relocating companies.

If it was financially rewarding you could encourage finance/tech companies to relocate to the office space in NQs. Sun life would be a good example.

The down side of relocating, we then have a tonne of idle buildings in other parts of the city. Although they could be repurposed for other industry.

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121821750#Comment_121821750

It's just a very unusual situation for a company like that to be out in a period property in a residential area. In every other location (Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and even Wexford) they're in city center sites next to the quays.

I think new office space in a location like North Quays would be interesting for a wide range of companies. Being next to a train station and a bus station will be increasingly important as there is a continued push to get commuters out of their cars.

Part of the issue with road traffic in Waterford is that so many people have to drive out to industrial estates where there isn't good public transport infrastructure, so greater concentration in the city center would inevitably result in much more journeys by public transport.

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121821679#Comment_121821679

Fortunately Michael Street remains available.

Deiseen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823034#Comment_121823034

When did that get built?

decies

From the business post commercial vacancy rate . Thought Waterford would be worse to be honest .

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121824480#Comment_121824480

Hence it remains available...

Deiseen

The latest update on this was that it would be mainly student accomodation.

It's not available for retail space if theres no retail units in it.

Valhalla90

Some recent footage from this YouTube channel I discovered. https://youtu.be/U4m8TtrsTMk?si=iYOUaKqM1ydg7JGN

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121826045#Comment_121826045

...was chatting to them about it a few months ago, theyre gonna try capture as much of the development as possible, well impressed by theyre drone, so much so, id say i ll eventually get one, nice job

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121825909#Comment_121825909

That plan is surely out the window now with Frisbys latest announcement. That plan was woeful for such a prominent area.

Retail has to be the focus for Michael St area, that said unless we start to fill debenhams, front of city square and Argos we probably won't see any new units built.

Valhalla90

They should copy what was done in Opera Lane just off Patrick St in Cork. A small street with some big names that’s all we need. Again it’s going to depend on what happens in City Square.