Limerick Businesses Opening

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346687#Comment_121346687

It would suit the city centre but it wouldn't suit Dolan's.

Moving a old worn in venue over to a shiny new unit isn't always a good idea. And as Callaway said they have the monopoly on pre and post gig pints on the Dock's.

They do hold gigs in the market sometimes so maybe they or others could be encouraged to do that more cause Dolan's have absolutely no reason to move. They don't need footfall to create business like a normal pub does.

Vanquished

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346472#Comment_121346472

Not all advocating that Schuh should move from Bedford Row, a street with full occupancy incidentally. To be fair there isn't actually too much difference between the size of those units. There's a basement underneath the Bedford Row unit which they aren't utilising but clearly don't need to. The old Gerrard unit isn't in bad shape at all. It's been occupied continuously for decades. The interior is a bit dated for sure but it wouldn't require that much investment to give it a refresh.

Yes Krank's is infuriating. I reckon it's almost 7 years since Gasta closed with no sign of anyone moving in there. It's been up for lease under several estate agents in the last couple of years. I think the building is for sale also. It's in a prime spot and would be perfect for a variety of uses. It only needs superficial work also.

I read a piece recently about the proclamations of doom in Galway from certain business owners about the pedestrianisation of the main streets in 1998. The plan worked a treat though and city centre trade and occupancy rates sky rocketed. They'd never go back now. O'Connell Street here doesn't need to be fully pedestrianised. Two blocks from William Street to Roches Street would provide welcome respite from the relentless noise and fumes. It would also help weed out the unnecessary through traffic that has no business clogging up the city centre. The rest of the street (Cecil Street upwards) could be turned into a pedestrian priority space but with access for buses, taxis etc and limited local traffic.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346703#Comment_121346703

Maybe a second Dolan's or music venue.

The more destination spots in the city centre, the better

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346780#Comment_121346780

But as mentioned anyway, they have contracts for the Milk Market/King John's Castle anyway. Why take a risk of another permanent fixture in the city centre when everything else is dying a death.

waterwelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346714#Comment_121346714

The point is it can be moved to any boring modern building in the area, freeing a prime historic riverfront site for something mentioned in the post I was replying to, such as hostel / cinema / restaurant etc.

I'm not sure why you think it's advantageous to have a courthouse beside city hall.

orangerhyme

The population of the city centre is about to increase a fair bit with Opera, Cleeves and Colbert sites, so it's good to have a vision for Cruise's street.

Also lots of job announcements in past couple of years so there's lots of potential for a vibrant city centre.

Maybe indie cinema, hostel, late night cafe, playground would be a good start.

As someone previously said with all the big construction projects, there's probably not the resources for a complete rebuild for the next decade at least.

Alternatively the council could just subsidise the rents to as low as possible and see what the free markets does with it.

That's how Temple Bar initially started.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346812#Comment_121346812

All civic buildings should be in or around the same place. If anything should be levelled, you only need look next door to the carpark in the potato market.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346765#Comment_121346765

I can't even remember Gasta. The last place I remember there was the fancy Superman's.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346780#Comment_121346780

Would be great but I would say little demand for one. Most cities seem to just have a "Dolan's" and it's the same venue for each city that you see every time on the tour posters.

If I had the money I would invest in the fancy cinema or the hostel long before a new music venue. Especially in a new site which are usually soulless and boring. It's the same reason that the Milk Market and castle are sought after venues.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346816#Comment_121346816

Subsided rent is also how Cruises St. started which is why after (iirc) 12 and 20 years a number of the original stores started to look at moving on.

waterwelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346828#Comment_121346828

How do you level a surface level car park?

🤔

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346796#Comment_121346796

They would increase revenue. They go be a late bar 7 nights a week.

I agree it's unrealistic though.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346839#Comment_121346839

They could recreate it brick by brick but I agree it's unrealistic.

Maybe just a cinema/music venue/theatre would be best.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Uj9CuzpdvX8wTfTu7

Maybe do it to this big warehouse by Smyth's. Have a hostel in the other big warehouse across the street.

I know it's not Cruises street, but it would be awesome.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346816#Comment_121346816

There are on 12 or 13 apartments planned at the Opera site.

Cleeves doesn't even have a final masterplan yet, so nobody knows how many apartments will be built there. And you'll be lucky to see anything built there before the end of the decade.

And finally the Colbert plan will never be built. The current LDA update says post 2030 for anything to start.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346853#Comment_121346853

If it's that easy why are there not more 7 a week late bars already. If it was that great an idea someone would be doing it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346857#Comment_121346857

It just doesn't work. Logically it makes perfect sense but pubs are different to other businesses and it's like the atmosphere is soaked into the walls. I've seen more than enough of these types of moves to know to not attempt it with a successful venue. Ive had friends move only next door to their old spot and end up bankrupt.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346870#Comment_121346870

By the Opera site, I meant working population. 1000s of office workers with money to spend. ( Up to 3000 apparently).

The LDA have government backing but our construction industry is at capacity so it's difficult to get things going. The LDA are currently building projects in Dublin and Cork so no reason why it won't happen in Limerick.

The Cleeves site may have up to 500 units. Once there's money and political will, it will happen.

Likewise Colbert Quarter. (Up to 2800 homes).

As long as our economy remains stable, these things will happen eventually.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346902#Comment_121346902

The office workers will go home at 5pm. The cafes and restaurants will do great daytime business, but that's it.

The LDA have stated in their own plans that nothing is going to be built around Colbert Station until post 2030. It's not going to happen.

I'm all for your enthusiasm, but it's very, very misplaced.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346919#Comment_121346919

The Locke might get a post 5pm boost on a Friday but the sad fact is most of those workers will drive.

Its really disappointing that Opera wont have housing. Would really help keep it alive after 5pm and not look like another Cruises St. at night. I know it's due to have a restaurant or something but every little helps.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346919#Comment_121346919

After work drinks are huge in Ireland.

Going away dos, Christmas parties, Friday drinks etc.

You're much more likely to socialise after work if you're in the city center as opposed to a commercial park outside the city, when you just hop in a car home.

I heard an interview with John Coleman CEO of LDA and he was very enthusiastic about the Colbert Quarter.

"One example is Colbert Station in Limerick, where about 50 hectares of state land is shared by the HSE, Irish Rail and the local authority. We are stitching these plots together to form a much larger, more cohesive master plan development. We’ve released a master plan for Colbert, and we will prepare the first planning applications later this year, which brings a sense of reality to these major projects." He said this a month ago.

2028 is the latest date for delivery of homes.

It's also very much Green Party policy and best policy in general for "transport Oriented development", 15 minute city, active travel etc.

Limerick's working and living population is growing annually so there's plenty of demand.

The problem is construction capacity but that is actually increasing year on year also.

I think an extra 20,000 are working in construction since pre covid. (Up from 150,000 so that's a decent percentage increase 13.3%).

Just for more enthusiasm, there's huge plans for the Shannon Estuary in green energy like wind turbines and hydrogen production.

So that's up to 50,000 of jobs on the way potentially.

I know that's Foynes and Moneypoint but Limerick will be the nearest city so will provide services etc.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346988#Comment_121346988

Office workers don't go out for after works drinks 5 nights a week. Most wouldn't even do it once a week. When they're not living in the city center and with our practically non existant public transport offering, office workers are far more likely to go home after work.

In the LDAs recent Report on Relevant Lands, the Colbert lands were put in Class 3.

Class 3 land is generally large, complex land that is regarded as having long-term potential for residential-led development and urban regeneration. However, due to to significant planning policy alignment, relocation of existing operational uses and infrastructure requirements, Class 3 land will require significant further work in order to unlock its potential. Class 3 land may meet some of the criteria of Class 1 and 2 land, such as proximity to residential communities and services, but due to its zoning, active uses or infrastructure requirements for example, will not contribute to residential-led redevelopment in the near future. It requires a strategic plan-led approach, provision of new infrastructure, and extensive stakeholder engagement before it can be advanced (approx. 10+ years), noting in particular, that the strategic development of the settlement and its planning policy is a function of the elected members of the relevant planning authority

If it ever starts, it won't be before 2030.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121347100#Comment_121347100

Read John Coleman quote above. I edited my post.

I think the Colbert Quarter will be a drip feed of homes rather than one big building site. For example maybe a 200 unit cost rental apartment block delivered before 2030 just to show progress. 2028 maybe.

Once there's money, political will, demand etc, these things happen. There's a huge housing shortage in Dublin but the LDA are only delivering their first units next year.

I'm more optimistic than you I think.

I think Limerick's booming right now and will keep growing as it's location, infrastructure, workforce, education and quality of life is strong. But the city centre does need a bit of vision and investment.

It should be a destination spot for shopping, culture, entertainment, eating, drinking etc.

orangerhyme

The number of people in construction in Ireland in 2005 was 245,000. Today it's 170,000 despite our population having grown over a million.

So our construction industry is still only recovering so we need to be patient on big projects in Limerick.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121346853#Comment_121346853

God you make it sound so easy. They are very dumb

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121347417#Comment_121347417

There's no need to be smart.

My initial comment was about improving Cruises Street and Limerick city in general.

I also said initially it was unrealistic despite it making logical and logistical sense.

There's lots of "destination" small cities and towns in Ireland like Galway, Westport, Dingle, Killarney, Carrick etc.

Limerick could be one of those with good vision and policy and investment.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121347445#Comment_121347445

Limerick cannot be Dingle, Westport, Killarney or wherever the fuk Carrick is because it's already way ahead of them.

Maybe Adare could be the next Dingle but the 3rd biggest urban centre has a lot more to think about than whether you need to walk the very short distance to Dolan's (and it is short. It's only a weird Irish small town mentality thinks it's "out of town")

Westport FFS 🤣

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121347759#Comment_121347759

I mean as a destination.

Do Irish people go to Limerick for the weekend? Do stags or hens go there?

Do you ever hear of couples or groups of mates going to Limerick for the weekend?

Do you ever hear foreign tourists mention that they're going to Limerick? They pass through on the way to somewhere else like the Cliffs of Moher or Doolin.

Galway, Cork, Kilkenny, Derry all get these type of tourists.

Dingle, Kenmare, Killarney, Adare, Westport, Carlingford, Carrick, Belfast, Clonakilty, Kinsale etc all do.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121347785#Comment_121347785

Yes, I hear and see all of these things. There have been loads of posts on this forum from out of towners asking where 20 guys/girls could get in on a stag/hen weekend.

Or people asking about things to see and do on a weekend away in Limerick.

The city is also full of foreign tourists during the summer. Especially Americans.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121347277#Comment_121347277

There are no big projects in Limerick stalled or delayed because of the construction worker shortage. None of the projects you listed earlier (Cleeves and Colbert) are even in detailed planning. It'll be years before anyone even thinks about starting construction.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121347842#Comment_121347842

Yet it doesn't have one tourist hostel.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121347877#Comment_121347877

It's the number one factor hindering construction in Ireland.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2023/08/30/skills-shortages-hindering-builders/

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121348002#Comment_121348002

It's the number one factor hindering construction of projects that have been designed, have gotten planning and are funded. Cleeves and Colbert are years away from any of these milestones.

There is not one project in Limerick that is currently being held up by it.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121347998#Comment_121347998

That has no relevance to the point I disputed.

We do however have hotels, guest houses and Airbnbs.