What would you change in Cork???

Fabio

Right this thread isn't for getting rid of people, changing the city manager or about killing all the scumbags. This thread is for suggestions, explanations of how you would change bits of the city. Try and keep it realistic as well and if you want to go mad then say you're putting in a dreamer situation (cos I'm gonna do one of those too!).

Have fun!

---

Here's my suggestions:

- Replace Nano Nagle walk bridge with something nicer
- Save Beamish brewery and do it up a bit
- Pass a by-law saying all blank concrete on upper floors has to be painted, unless it is blank for a reason (it's limestone or something)
- Knock the old tax office or else replace the frontage and make it into a community complex of some kind, a big hall and stuff for events.
- Put some grass on Grand Parade. I like the way it is after being done up but a bit of grass on the flat would go far.
- Sort out Daunt Sqaure by lighting it up really bright at night, out a statue there of myself (well ok someone else so) and have benches there so you can sit and watch the world go by.
- Do up Washington Street, widen the paths and have narrow trees, about 10 feet high going all the way up stopping by the Kino.

Now for the dreamer part:

- Kick Burger King out of Pana. Gut the building and use it as a central station, like Grand Central, for a Cork subway system. Daycent.

partyguinness

1. The poor
2. The working class
3. The long term unemployed


Basically most of the Northside.....nah only messing

1. Do up that street...at the end of the Mardyke running down to the Mercy Hospital. Its horrible looking.

2. Down the docks and around by Marina View (behind and east along The Sextant pub)...total revamp..very grotty.

3. Sort out Barrack Street. Efforts are being made.

To be continued...

TanG411

partyguinness wrote: »

1. The poor
2. The working class
3. The long term unemployed


Basically most of the Northside.....nah only messing

Hey! There's nothing wrong with the North side :pac::pac::pac:

But I'd like to see Oliver Plunkett Street as a no parking zone because it's a narrow street already. There's no need for cars and trucks to be parked there (unless they're doing deliveries).

Have something done to the old AIB branch by Patrick's Bridge. That's been gone for a while now. I'd like to see it turned into an electronic store or something. At least then there'd be a lot of shops by McCurtain Street which won't require you to go into the City center.

Owen

Paint the old FÁS building it's so dirty at the moment, it's a disgrace.

I'd make sure every building looks after it's upper floors, and it's own frontage, some of the upstairs of buildings are very neglected.

I'd rip up all of the stones used in the new Grand Parade/Patricks Street and put just one of the same type down. I know it's artsy to use different stones here and there, but the way it was implemented by the council, it just looks like we ran out of stone here and there, and used whatever was lying around to fill in the gaps.

I'd pressure all of the shopping centres to lower the rates on their unused units, specfically TK Maxx's centre, and the Merchant's Quay centre too - the city is suffering because of a lack of decent retail outlets. I'd also pressure the owners of the unoccupied units on Patricks Street to do the same. Having multiple closed shops on the main street is unacceptable.

Lastly, I'd encourage cars back into the city centre again, when you could park on the grand parade, and on oliver plunkett street, it was great to go to town. These days for example on Tuckey street alone, there's 4 disabled spaces. I never ever see more than 1 being used. It's a waste of lucrative parking space - and the hassles assosciated with parking is what's driving people to Mahon Point/Wilton/Blackpool. Park n Ride me bollocks.

deRanged

pedestrianise all of patrick st.
turf out all the 2 euro and so on shops.
more corpo sanctioned entertainment on the street and grand parade.
(not just the free hugs I saw yesterday, not that they were sanctioned).
fill all the empty units. more ice-cream/food stalls. a market maybe.
basically, use all the lovely space that's been made.
gardai permanenty on duty on the street - keep things family friendly all day.

Fabio

Nice building that one is and all (AIB over Patricks Bridge). MacCurtain Street itself is a lovely street, a lot of work could be done to really bring it up to standard.

Yeah more food stalls and stuff like that.

Owen

Larkin501 wrote: »

there'd be a lot of shops by McCurtain Street which won't require you to go into the City center.

And I'd get a big advertising campaign going to remind people that the distance between McCurtain Street/Washington Street and Patrick's street is measured in metres, not miles. It's still the city centre.

Drives me cracked! People standing on Pana, who need something from either Washington Street/North Main Street/Paul Street/McCurtain Street won't walk to get it because it's too far and outside the city centre. No it's bloody well not. I think personally it's this mindset that hampers the expansion of Cork as a whole.

Bill-e

Bring back the old tram system.

Turn some of the empty office spaces around the city into housing.

Burn down the Elysian.

bladebrew

Bill-e wrote: »

Bring back the old tram system.

Turn some of the empty office spaces around the city into housing.

Burn down the Elysian.

ah maybe not burn it down:eek: make the prices more realistic so people will actually buy the apartments!,it looks awful at might time!

Get rid of the elysian. Its horrible to look at, it just doesn't belong.

Owen

I actually love the Elysian. I think Cork has been the collecting basket of dull, drab, unpainted 3 story buildings for too long. The Elysian, Clarion, and the general renovation of the quays and buildings on Anglesea Street is a breath of fresh air. It's inevitable that some areas in the city will have newer modern buildings, and others will stay as they are, historic and full of character.

Well, now that that's the Elysian off topic bit done, let's try to keep the thread on topic rather than an Elysian discussion thread (There's one in the forum if you want to search on it).

One thing I would love to see in Cork as a whole, is for all junctions to have the yellow hatched areas painted in. There's none on our streets, and as a result people drive into the middle of a junction hoping the traffic will eek forward, and end up causing bedlam. Perfect examples are ouside the Opera house, the junctions around Mahon Point where it meets the link and where the boreenamana meets the link too. Madness, and all for the want of a few gallons of yellow road paint.

Max001

Seems the consensus is that Corks been going down hill since approximately 1922

moceri

Get Rid of those AWFUL lights from Patrick St. and Grand parade that look like something out of a building site.

Fabio

Max001 wrote: »

Seems the consensus is that Corks been going down hill since approximately 1922

Nah, only that we're always thinking of ways to make the place even better!

Jimbo

Construct overpasses at the Bandon Roundabout, Wilton Roundabout and Dunkettle Interchange so you can bypass the entire city without hitting a roundabout.

raah!

Taking those horrible metal blobs off of that ledge in front of the library I think is the most important thing they can do.

DamienH

Aren't they to stop people grinding against the ledge....... just to confirm, grinding on skateboards

raah!

Well, I wouldn't know much about that sort of thing, but they're not doing any harm. The handsom devils!

ajsp.

PaintDoctor wrote: »

I'd rip up all of the stones used in the new Grand Parade/Patricks Street and put just one of the same type down. I know it's artsy to use different stones here and there, but the way it was implemented by the council, it just looks like we ran out of stone here and there, and used whatever was lying around to fill in the gaps..

I think it looks great, Beth Gaili did a top job.
The Fas building is to be knocked down sometime next year.

Mine
1 Get the ESB to put all their power lines underground/out of sight (especially around Shandon)

2 Clean the river walls ( I smell a FAS scheme)

3 Have a ferry service from the city centre to Cobh and other areas.

4 Sort out who has right of way on Pemrose Quay/Horgan Quay (by the Garda club)

5 Stick a zero at the end of all littering fines and have more Wardens.

6 Move the Pegasus Statue from Airport Rd to somewhere where it can be seen for more than half a second.

7 Start the Docklands and Cork Port Projects

8 Conference Centre in the Showgrounds

9 Start the outer North Ring Road.

10 Get the trains back running to Youghal, Bandon, Passage, Kinsale Macroom etc.

CB19Kevo

i think they should Create a skatepark as they end up all over the city at the moment,
also broadband should be improved in the city, speeds should be increased to cater for the business sector.


Is it just me or has more been suggested on how to improve cork here than was ever taught of in city hall/dail.
Cork has been neglected and deserves better......

DamienH

Isn't there two skateparks already in cork? I'm pretty sure there's one around Fitzgerald Park. I think it's just a case of them wanting to skate around the streets now at this stage.

raah!

In my unbiased and detached opinion ; Herding people into ghettoes is no solution. In fact there is no problem, only with peoples attitudes towards skateboarding.

"all over the city" Yes they live in cork city, have lived there all their lives and skated around there all their lives, saying that one group of people can't use these public ledges in this way is nothing short of bigotry.

Now of course some of the youngsters are gonna cause troubles every once in a while, but this is because of their youth, and not the skateboards they hold.

Those ledges will never be used as much as they are used by skateboaders right now. There are still ledges to sit on, and if you're not some ignorant old mand whoes afraid of anything they don't understand, you can sit on the ones being skateboarded on too. Many people do. People skating them at 4am in the morning makes them safer for other people too.

You people are ruining the world, restricting people to boxes like that.

CB19Kevo

raah! wrote: »

In my unbiased and detached opinion. Herding people into ghettoes is no solution. In fact there is no problem, only with peoples attitudes towards skateboarding.

"all over the city" Yes they live in cork city, have lived there all their lives and skated around there all their lives, saying that one group of people can't use these public ledges in this way is nothing short of bigotry.

Now of course some of the youngsters are gonna cause troubles every once in a while, but this is because of their youth, and not the skateboards they hold.

Those ledges will never be used as much as they are used by skateboaders right now. There are still ledges to sit on, and if you're not some ignorant old mand whoes afraid of anything they don't understand, you can sit on the ones being skateboarded on too. Many people do. People skating them at 4am in the morning makes them safer for other people too.

You people are ruining the world, restricting people to boxes like that.

Some valid points, but the streets are not designed for stunts,have seen a few people getting bad falls at the court house and down by paul st.
Not that safe for them,

raah!

It's safer than the two skateparks tbh. Plus they understand the risk involved when they start. As long as no harm falls on other people I think they should be fine.

Although people skating in front of the courthouse when the doors are open is ridiculous, but that's a different matter, and those aren't just skateboarders there really.

number10a

Jimbo wrote: »

Construct overpasses at the Bandon Roundabout, Wilton Roundabout and Dunkettle Interchange so you can bypass the entire city without hitting a roundabout.

OMG, I'm drooling at the thought of it!!! :pac::pac::pac:

ajsp.

I always found the Skaters to be fine, they never tried to beat me up or anything!!!!

omerin

the streets should be cleaner, reduce the charges in multi-story car parks and arrest the inbreeds that do an impression of free willy in the early hours of sunday morning. hire some unemployed people to act as litter wardens, they would make the money outlayed on them in fines (base it on the garda traffic corp :pac:)

remove the position of lord mayor, the position is an excuse for a temporary pay rise for an already overpaid and under worked councillor. the money saved could go to building an extension onto the dole office. no one would want to be on the dole, and queing outside the dole office in rain, hail and snow can't add to how they are feeling, the least they are entitled to is shelter.

Fabio

ajsp. wrote: »

I always found the Skaters to be fine, they never tried to beat me up or anything!!!!

Exactly...they keep to themselves really so they're no harm. As long as they stop the stupid thing of putting stickers on the block bences on Grand Parade.

Amtmann

I would:

1) Complete the North Ring Road
2) Consider a LUAS running from CIT to Dunkettle, with a link to Mahon Point and Páirc Uí Caoímh
3) I would establish a historical museum and national archive at the site of the Capitol Cinema on Grand Parade
4) Fix the city's footpaths
5) Fix the city's bus stops (i.e. have a rain shelter at each one as well as a timetable)
6) Clamp down hard on people who don't scoop their dog's poop - Cork is disgraceful in this respect
7) Stop all further development along the South Ring. The road is bursting at the seams as is.

deRanged

this is the sort of shop I'd like to see gone from the main street of our city.



I've heard Boots and HMV are both moving off Partick St. to new premises in the half moon and huguenot quarter - that'll leave another 2 vacancies. I wonder what the street will look like at all.

ajsp.

deRanged wrote: »

this is the sort of shop I'd like to see gone from the main street of our city.



I've heard Boots and HMV are both moving off Partick St. to new premises in the half moon and huguenot quarter - that'll leave another 2 vacancies. I wonder what the street will look like at all.

Hehe, That Echo guy holding the ladder looking at the drill thinking "WTF is this for"

Jimbo

deRanged wrote: »

this is the sort of shop I'd like to see gone from the main street of our city.



I've heard Boots and HMV are both moving off Partick St. to new premises in the half moon and huguenot quarter - that'll leave another 2 vacancies. I wonder what the street will look like at all.

Ha ha, Echo guy is a part-time carpenter.

bladebrew

Jimbo wrote: »

Construct overpasses at the Bandon Roundabout, Wilton Roundabout and Dunkettle Interchange so you can bypass the entire city without hitting a roundabout.

+1,000,000:),it was apparently planned years ago,after they did the kinsale roundabout flyover,but then nothing happend:rolleyes:

replace all the bus shelter glass with perspex or something unbreakable!,just passed one this evening smashed into a million pieces,looks absolutely dreadful to visitors,

razorblunt

Remove the taxi bases from MacCurtain Street, I'm amazed theres not more crashes there with the amount of them that stop in the middle of the road to pick up from the base.

Would leave to see a DART like system connecting towns to the city.

Fix the roofs on the buildings in St Patrick Street I'm looking at you Con Murphy.

Encourage more shops to open in the city.

Fabio

bladebrew wrote: »

+1,000,000:),it was apparently planned years ago,after they did the kinsale roundabout flyover,but then nothing happend:rolleyes:

replace all the bus shelter glass with perspex or something unbreakable!,just passed one this evening smashed into a million pieces,looks absolutely dreadful to visitors,

The thing is, they scratch and paint perspex...can't really do that to glass (well paint can be at least washed off anyway).

soundsham

1. Do up that street...at the end of the Mardyke running down to the Mercy Hospital. Its horrible looking.

2. Down the docks and around by Marina View (behind and east along The Sextant pub)...total revamp..very grotty.

3. Sort out Barrack Street. Efforts are being made.

To be continued...[/quote]


who are you....?
owen o callaghan or mick o flynn ?

change the weather and get back to 5 years ago prices would do me

razorblunt

Came across another one today the pedestrian crossing linking McDonalds to Douglas Court SC. It's in a ridiculous spot just after the roundabout (where the center blocks your view of the other side) leaving many cars breaking hard. Adding to that people wont walk the 20 feet from the McDonalds and Douglas SC pedestrian entrances down to it.

Irregardless of that what the council were thinking not putting the crossing down adjacent to those entrances we'll never know.

Fabio

They always seem to do that...very annoying, dangerous and creates artificial hold-ups on the roundabout nevermind scaring pedestrians from using the bloody things.

SeaFields

deRanged wrote: »

I've heard Boots and HMV are both moving off Partick St. to new premises in the half moon and huguenot quarter - that'll leave another 2 vacancies. I wonder what the street will look like at all.

Boots are staying on Patrick street. I'd like to stop them opening more stores being honest. There are just too many of them when your in the UK. One on every street. We don't need that here.

I think the best thing for the Cork landscape would be the docklands thing to be completed in a hurry. It would add considerably to the streetscape and eliminate that whole derelict, sleazy area. Oh and while they are at it, completely rip down Pairc Ui Choimbh and replace it with a modern, state of the art, stadium.

Not all overly ambitious :cool:

overmantle

More bus lanes.

trotter_inc

I haven't fully read all of the replies above but I would teach people how to use roundabouts properly. Moved here nearly 4 years ago and the amount of near-collisions on some of the roundabouts around the city is crazy! Maybe it's down to their layouts but people don't seem to understand that they can't just cross in to other lanes mid-way around the roundabout!!

That's my rant for the day

Apart from that I don't think I'd change anything, I love Cork

rebs23

1- Revamp Merchants Quay and Patricks Quay
2- Clean the bridges, especially Patricks Bridge
3- Pedestrianise Patrick St
4-Shandon area paving like Patrick St
5- Shandon area promote as Artists Quarter
6- Docklands, lets be honest it will be years but still keep pushing for that Bridge
7- Fine owners for derelict buildings and CPO more viogorously
8- Make shopkeepers, responsible for keeping their shop fronts and pavement outside clean
9- CPO and demolish all the houses below Elizabeth Forth near St. Finabarrs, set up a fund for this.
10.- Open the ramparts at Elizabeth Forth
11- A Public Park at the Beamish Brewery.
12- A Cork City Horse Racecourse at Carrigtohill, linked by rail.
13- Kent Station, do anything, something with the lands and derelict CIE buildings here
14- Rail station at Blackpool
15- Northside campus at Farranferris jointly operated by all 3rd level colleges, simply run some courses here.
16- Congestion charge for oil and coal trucks using the south Docks. Encourage them to move out.
17- Remove the Government controlled oil tanks in the South Docks holding up development.
18 - Marina at Blackrock and City Centre by old Bonded Warehouse
19- Demolish ugly brick extension to Old Bonded warehouse
20- Demolish old tax office and have Hotel here
21- Bonded Warehouse to be turned into restaraunt/nightlife centre
22- Lobby for tax incentives to apply to individuals living within 1000 yards of the GPO to encourage city centre living on the basis of a more sustainable environment, less carbon foothprint, etc (Greens unfortunately don't understand incentives!)
23- A centre of Sporting excellence on outskirts of city with facilities for every sport imaginable and to be used bay national and international teams.
24- Elect politicians with a bit of vision and capable of fighting for development in Cork.

Mr Cork Man

Sort out the citys heroin problem before it gets any worse.

sunnyside

I'd like a Starbucks:)

ajsp.

rebs23 wrote: »

1- Revamp Merchants Quay and Patricks Quay
2- Clean the bridges, especially Patricks Bridge
3- Pedestrianise Patrick St
4-Shandon area paving like Patrick St
5- Shandon area promote as Artists Quarter
6- Docklands, lets be honest it will be years but still keep pushing for that Bridge
7- Fine owners for derelict buildings and CPO more viogorously
8- Make shopkeepers, responsible for keeping their shop fronts and pavement outside clean
9- CPO and demolish all the houses below Elizabeth Forth near St. Finabarrs, set up a fund for this.
10.- Open the ramparts at Elizabeth Forth
11- A Public Park at the Beamish Brewery.
12- A Cork City Horse Racecourse at Carrigtohill, linked by rail.
13- Kent Station, do anything, something with the lands and derelict CIE buildings here
14- Rail station at Blackpool
15- Northside campus at Farranferris jointly operated by all 3rd level colleges, simply run some courses here.
16- Congestion charge for oil and coal trucks using the south Docks. Encourage them to move out.
17- Remove the Government controlled oil tanks in the South Docks holding up development.
18 - Marina at Blackrock and City Centre by old Bonded Warehouse
19- Demolish ugly brick extension to Old Bonded warehouse
20- Demolish old tax office and have Hotel here
21- Bonded Warehouse to be turned into restaraunt/nightlife centre
22- Lobby for tax incentives to apply to individuals living within 1000 yards of the GPO to encourage city centre living on the basis of a more sustainable environment, less carbon foothprint, etc (Greens unfortunately don't understand incentives!)
23- A centre of Sporting excellence on outskirts of city with facilities for every sport imaginable and to be used bay national and international teams.
24- Elect politicians with a bit of vision and capable of fighting for development in Cork.

Why is that closed anyway? Looks like it's in good working order.

trotter_inc

sunnyside wrote: »

I'd like a Starbucks:)

I'll second that one sunnyside Great idea!!!

AceofSpades001

Wow, looks like everyone has kinda touched on all the major issues, so I'll just throw in my minor gripe.

I'd propose a change to some of the traffic light systems in place. My god trying to get through the lights at dennehy's cross from magazine road side is awful, if the person at the light's reflexes aren't catlike, only 2 cars get through before they are red again, with a queue of about 40 cars.:P Thankfully I can just get onto the Wilton Road from Glasheen Road now, but if you wanted to get onto the model farm road you'd just have to suffer at Dennehy's Cross.

ajsp.

AceofSpades001 wrote: »

Wow, looks like everyone has kinda touched on all the major issues, so I'll just throw in my minor gripe.

I'd propose a change to some of the traffic light systems in place. My god trying to get through the lights at dennehy's cross from magazine road side is awful, if the person at the light's reflexes aren't catlike, only 2 cars get through before they are red again, with a queue of about 40 cars.:P Thankfully I can just get onto the Wilton Road from Glasheen Road now, but if you wanted to get onto the model farm road you'd just have to suffer at Dennehy's Cross.

A gripe of mine too.
I must get a few pictures of the worst spots and start a thread on this subject.

Namlub

Do up the docks, the factories around there are downright eerie after six o'clock at night.
More nice cafes and places to get takeaway stuff that isn't O'Briens or McDonalds.
Dunno, town's not great on the whole to be honest...

trotter_inc

Namlub wrote: »

More nice cafes and places to get takeaway stuff that isn't O'Briens or McDonalds.

I think that's probably a problem with most big towns and cities, too many Mc Donalds, Supermacs, Burgerkings, Subways, etc.... and not enough independant cafes...

Flamed Diving

Pedestrianise the entire island.