Limerick improvement projects

James McNulty

Nice to see the Verizon signage has gone up on the new BQ office block. Brings an air of IFSC to Limerick

manna452121

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122081676#Comment_122081676

The building is beautiful as you come down Henry St.

James McNulty

Can you imagine a few City Centre blocks built like it? It would be so transformational

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122081676#Comment_122081676

I did have a bit of a laugh to myself about us getting notions of being Canary Wharf or something 🤣

Hibernicis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122081676#Comment_122081676

With the addition of the signage and the bronzed brise soleil, and the removal of the remaining scaffolding BQ1 (or the Verizon building as it is likely to be called) is really taking shape as a standout.

It would be wonderful if the rumours about a deal with the OPW to do something about the back of Henry Street Garda Station come to fruition. Viewed from across the river it’s like a missing front tooth now.

pigtown

Not quite a new development but Barrington's hospital is up for sale. I wonder if it would be viable to redevelop it into a hotel or apartments, or would the layout be unsuitable for that.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122084023#Comment_122084023

I didn't realise this was going to be part of the plan when they announced the new hospital.

Will be a loss in terms of accessibility to lose a city centre hospital. Whatever goes in there will as usual take ages so the area is gonna lose significant footfall.

Cookiemunster

In fairness the new Bons will be very accessible by road and will have a bus route passing by once BusConnects is implemented.

rjoe90

Any word on the planned apartments at speakers corner? Haven’t heard an update in a while. Everything seems to take so long to get done here.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122084507#Comment_122084507

Ya I know it will be on the new #2 but that would still mean a transfer for most city people and all country people. It's not the end of the world just a bit of a pity

Would be better if it was the case of "an additional" hospital rather than building one to replace another.

Don't know much about the inside but the outside and location would make for a great boutique hotel.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122084985#Comment_122084985

Out to tender for construction AFAIK.

Glenomra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122084300#Comment_122084300

with a department of the Art college adjacent, maybe expansion to include Barringtons!!! Or maybe JP willfund another 'special' for Limerick City. he certainly has funded a lot of other worthwhile ventures!!

chicorytip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122081825#Comment_122081825

Canary Dwarf, like....

Brennans Row

I was just looking at a picture of the railway station taken by Finbarr O’Neill on the 15.05.2024.

What caught my eye is a building crane that must be situated on the Mallow Street / Catherine Street area?

Does anyone know what building site this might be?

Maybe the stalled 34-41 Catherine Street development?

breezy1985

Maybe something to do with one of the Georgian buildings been done up around there.

Cookiemunster

The Catherine St development hasn't started. That looks like a mobile crane. It might have something to do with one of the building refurbs on Mallow St.

Vanquished

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122156736#Comment_122156736

It's carrying out work on the McVerry Trust project at 2 & 3 Mallow Street. Something like 11 single bed apartments for their homeless or drug treatment clients.

Brennans Row

Seeing a crane on 34-41 Catherine Street was wishful thinking on my part. 🏗️

Still 2-3 Mallow Street is an interesting project, adding a floor plus Georgian restoration.

The Trust writes on their website . . .

In the heart of Limerick City’s Georgian Core, our regeneration project on Mallow Street is another example of the work Peter McVerry Trust is doing to bring vacant properties back into use as social housing.

This former OPW building will create 12 homes for people on local social housing waiting lists.

Cookiemunster

Public consultation is open for the Moyross rail station.

Details are here.

https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/about-us/iarnrod-eireann-projects-and-investments/new-stations/moyross

It's to be a single platform behind Corpus Christi School.

What are the benefits?

Improved public transport connections for the people of Moyross,
with approximate journey times of 11 minutes to Limerick Colbert, 15
minutes to Sixmilebridge, 32 minutes to Ennis, and less than 2 hours to
Galway

Improved public transport links to educational and community facilities, including TUS, Thomond Park, and TUS Gaelic Grounds

Supports the sustainable regeneration of Moyross and the surrounding area

Integrates with existing and proposed transport networks, including
the proposed University Avenue strategic link road between Moyross
Avenue and Old Cratloe Road, BusConnects Limerick, and the proposed
Limerick CycleConnects

By 2043 almost 7,000 people will live within a 15 minute walk of the proposed new Moyross Station

Encourages multiple modes of sustainable transport through the provision of bicycle parking

Encourages more sustainable travel choices by providing an
alternative to private car journeys, thus reducing transport related CO2
emissions

Designed with flexibility to accommodate the potential future
double-tracking of the line and addition of a second platform on the
northern side of the track at the station

I'm actually laughing at this 'benefit'.

By 2043 almost 7000 people will live within a 15 min walk of the proposed new Moyross Station

A station for a population, in 20 years time, of 7000 people, who'll be less that 15 mins from a bus stop that will get them into the city center faster and more frequently than the train thanks to BusConnects.

In fact other than links to Sixmilebridge and Ennis (how strong would demand even be for this) there is nothing provided here that BusConnects won't deliver.

I doubt this project passed any CBA. It seems to be purely a political venture.

breezy1985

Didn't think they would go there but it's exactly what I was hoping for my own selfish reasons.

Poxyshamrock

It needs to have a passing loop and second platform. Otherwise as Cookiemunster mentions, it will not be able to compete with the existing bus services already in situ.

Will be suggesting that a passing loop is added.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160561#Comment_122160561

Stupid not to have the passing loop. They already made that mistake once with Sixmilebridge.

It will never compete with the bus which is a fine service now. It will never be a station for Moyross people to get to Limerick.

The only real daily benefit is for Clare TUS students. Outside of that a few matches and a few people going to Camillus or the new hospital is all it will be used for.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160422#Comment_122160422

What's the purpose of a public consultation after the site is selected and planning permission sought?

phog

There's a decent amount of students arriving in to Limerick train station every morning, they're split across UL, Mary I, TUC and the Arts college, the train station in Moyross could be handy for the TUS students, a stop near the Parkway or Ballysimon might suit UL but you'd need a connecting bus or secure bike stands as the walk from Ballysimon is borderline too long a commute.

LeoD

Well if you add stations around Ballysimon, Raheen & Mungret you have an efficient & sustainable transport network connecting the outer parts of the city with each other which opens up housing and commercial development opportunities and provides greater access to jobs regardless of where you live in the metro area. You could also add stops in Corbally, Park Rd, Parkway, Ballinacurra, Dooradoyle. If you want to go to the city centre you can get a bus, cycle or drive. Not every trip starts/finishes in the city centre so we shouldn't be trying to funnel every trip through it. Add another station in Patrickswell and build more housing out there. Limerick has an opportunity to distinguish itself from other Irish cities and make it a very attractive proposition for FDI by developing a light urban rail network that connects with Shannon Airport and the intercity network.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160688#Comment_122160688

You would assume the new Ballysimon station will have a bus connection but nothing is certain in this country.

The problem with Moyross compared to Colbert is where people are coming from. Moyross/TUS will only be coming from Clare and maybe Galway. Numbers compared to those coming in from Cork, Tipp and beyond would be small I would say.

Bike space is still limited on many services too and good luck leaving your bike locked up for the week in Moyross.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160706#Comment_122160706

Except you wont have that. You'll have lines that terminate in Colbert, in the city center, and don't actually connect with each other. So you'll be doing exactly the thing you say we shouldn't be doing. And none of the lines serve UL/Plassey/Annacotty.

Single track lines on 18th century alignments will not match, never mind surpass, the BusConnects offering (especially when the park and rides are set up around the edge of the city) and they are not suitable commuter routes.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160753#Comment_122160753

That's it really. Unless we grow a pair and actually start building new alignments then we will get nowhere with rail commuting except the odd time we get lucky and the town happens to be on the intercity line like Mallow.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160715#Comment_122160715

The problem with Moyross compared to Colbert is where people are coming from. Moyross/TUS will only be coming from Clare and maybe Galway. Numbers compared to those coming in from Cork, Tipp and beyond would be small I would say.

What are you basing your numbers on, there's a significant number of students getting off trains in Limerick already, that could grow if they had an option of a station closer to their college

LeoD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160753#Comment_122160753

There's nothing to stop it from being done if the will and vision is there but the constant negativity to do something different and ambitious coupled with the obsession with building more roads means the odds are stacked against it.