Port of Waterford ownership of carparks

jayboi

Might as well start a thread on it. Why does the port still own a number of car parks this should surely be under the remit of the city council.
The ports interests should be limited to those that effect the port and not objecting to planning permission applications I find it odd as the port has been in decline for over the last 10 years and seems to doing very little about it.
What is the states stake in the port?

robtri

It is registered as a limited company,

So it has every right to own property, if the council or state want them they will have ti buy them

wellboytoo

jayboi wrote: »

Might as well start a thread on it. Why does the port still own a number of car parks this should surely be under the remit of the city council.
The ports interests should be limited to those that effect the port and not objecting to planning permission applications I find it odd as the port has been in decline for over the last 10 years and seems to doing very little about it.
What is the states stake in the port?

The state own 100 per cent of the port of Waterford Company who own about 60 per cent of the quays south side . A private company who's name escapes me now own the big car park from Ulster bank to shaws this company is owned by 6 well known retailers in the City centre.
Keeverflow is the name of the company.

jayboi

So you think the state owned port of waterford should be free set up a cupcake business and compete in john roberts square on saturday?

So it's a limited company owned by the state. So in a sane society it would act in the interest of said state.

A number of years ago the tourist offices around the country stopped selling gifts etc as it was competing with private business and the tourist offices are in the business providing information why can the port be made do the same.

Currently council water assets around the country are being transferred to irish water part of a limited company - why can't the port do the same

Martin_D

lifted from my post in Harvest Fest thread -
---- but how much did they pay for flood relief works that gave their business risk free status in more ways than one way. Also most of the car parking was in public ownership (previous port authority) until government created commercial port bodies. who owns piece opposite Treacy's Hotel, behind Bus Eireann and crane to Plaza?

wellboytoo

Martin_D wrote: »

who owns piece opposite Treacy's Hotel, behind Bus Eireann and crane to Plaza?

All the Ports property

jennygirl

jayboi wrote: »

Might as well start a thread on it. Why does the port still own a number of car parks this should surely be under the remit of the city council.
The ports interests should be limited to those that effect the port and not objecting to planning permission applications I find it odd as the port has been in decline for over the last 10 years and seems to doing very little about it.
What is the states stake in the port?

so whats your point ?
the port Authority objected to the gas works car park ?
the port Authority will not allow the Ice ink to use its car parks this Christmas
the port authority would not allow the solas Centre Marathon Run use its car part for the race start last saturday
the head of the port authority get paid in excess of 100k per year for doing what ?
the port authority is negative in its attitude to visiting cruise liners ?

Max Powers

jennygirl wrote: »

so whats your point ?
the port Authority objected to the gas works car park ?
the port Authority will not allow the Ice ink to use its car parks this Christmas
the port authority would not allow the solas Centre Marathon Run use its car part for the race start last saturday
the head of the port authority get paid in excess of 100k per year for doing what ?
the port authority is negative in its attitude to visiting cruise liners ?

Gas works one is true and shameful behaviour from port. I guess they are looking after their own interests as the council are probably playing a long game, open up gas works car park which will mean we can reduce parking on quay and rightly make better use of the riverfront as a people amenity.

Didnt hear anything about other ones.
Realistically the council/govt need to put a plan into place to acquire all that area along the quays, north and south. However, it must be a nightmare as you have port and irish rail fighting for decades about north quays along with council. It probably requires a local minister to have the power to knock heads together, even that could be a stretch. It all boils down to € at the end of the day, no one will give them up when there are millions to be potenitally made.

hardybuck

Max Powers wrote: »

Realistically the council/govt need to put a plan into place to acquire all that area along the quays, north and south. However, it must be a nightmare as you have port and irish rail fighting for decades about north quays along with council. It probably requires a local minister to have the power to knock heads together, even that could be a stretch. It all boils down to € at the end of the day, no one will give them up when there are millions to be potenitally made.

The Port of Waterford Company operates as a commercial semi state company. It reports into the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport. The current minister responsible for that is Leo Varadkar. Due to the tourism brief that he has, I'm sure he would have some interest in this as the Quays will certainly impact upon Tourism and Transport.

Our own Martin Cullen was Minister for Transport from 2004-2007, when all the money was slushing around and big things were happening. If he couldn't or didn't exert any influence at the time, there isn't much chance of this happening now.

jennygirl

Max Powers wrote: »

Realistically the council/govt need to put a plan into place to acquire all that area along the quays, north and south. However, it must be a nightmare as you have port and irish rail fighting for decades about north quays along with council. It probably requires a local minister to have the power to knock heads together, even that could be a stretch. It all boils down to € at the end of the day, no one will give them up when there are millions to be potenitally made.

Government owns the port authority
City Council is government body
Port authority is a government body
whats the problem?
merge them or sort them out

Max Powers

jennygirl wrote: »

Government owns the port authority
City Council is government body
Port authority is a government body
whats the problem?
merge them or sort them out

yeah it looks that simple but why hasnt it happened then after numerous attempts.? reason being each organisation willing to engage legal advise for their relevant case. each wants compensation, back to €€€€ again, which we dont exactly have a lot of. Until someone or somebody with money appears with money to do something over there, nothing will probably happen.

I dont think all is lost, if the council could get the funding to knock mills and a plan for north quays, im sure the required heads would be knocked together as you say.

invalid

City Council bought the Keverflow car park a few years back, but a condition of the sale was that the former owners could keep a lease on the site for (i think) 20 years. Its an objective of city council to create a riverside park along the quay.

As for the old flour mills, McInerneys bought them at the height of the madness, KPMG manage them now. Buying the car parks off the pot would cost a few million, it is a major source of cash to them.

It was a big consideration each year for the harvest festival who had to pay the port for every space as if it was full all day, although a discount then applied. It was still a substantial wedge out of the budget.

wellboytoo

invalid wrote: »

City Council bought the Keverflow car park a few years back, but a condition of the sale was that the former owners could keep a lease on the site for (i think) 20 years. .

15 years to run as far as I remember, good post puts it all together in a few lines!

jennygirl

invalid wrote: »

City Council bought the Keverflow car park a few years back, but a condition of the sale was that the former owners could keep a lease on the site for (i think) 20 years. Its an objective of city council to create a riverside park along the quay.

As for the old flour mills, McInerneys bought them at the height of the madness, KPMG manage them now. Buying the car parks off the pot would cost a few million, it is a major source of cash to them.

It was a big consideration each year for the harvest festival who had to pay the port for every space as if it was full all day, although a discount then applied. It was still a substantial wedge out of the budget.

Limerick applied for funding for city centre & river side - we could do same - they for €230m!
compulsory acquisition of Quays and Sort it out- Matter of time to get some car parks off the quays - make em look beautiful - WIT could build new departments on north Quays. Some one needs to take control in this City

Max Powers

jennygirl wrote: »

Limerick applied for funding for city centre & river side - we could do same - they for €230m!
compulsory acquisition of Quays and Sort it out- Matter of time to get some car parks off the quays - make em look beautiful - WIT could build new departments on north Quays. Some one needs to take control in this City

far to simplistic i fear Jenny, anything like anyone suggested here takes millions and unfortunately years, the way Ireland works. the ambition for limerick is massive but the funding from govt is nowhere near like 100mil. most of the 230 that has been talked about is to come from unknown private people. Just like the plan that was done for Waterfords quays (Waterford 2014 or something) a few years ago, it depends on a lot and probably wont happen, nice report that will look well and will sit on shelf until another report is done so councillors can pretend they are doing something.

Addition:
I see we are out of recession according to the govt, must be great for all especially the 25+% of people unemployed in Waterford. Maybe Waterford 2014 will happen yet :-)

hardybuck

The best example of dockland development has been in Dublin. They've done a fantastic job down there, which has rejuvenated the whole docklands area.

Two things to note about the Dublin example; one is that an awful lot of the property there has ended up in NAMA. The second is that they were able to attract the financial institutions into the IFSC and the software companies into a hub which has spawned.

Cork had and still has plans to develop their quays. They have had limited success to date, and I suspect a lot of property is in NAMA also. The tallest building in Ireland was built down there, and I understand it is mostly empty.

Limerick and perhaps Waterford will develop plans of their own, but I think it will be extremely difficult to try and attract interest for the mix of apartments, retail and commercial hubs which are required to make these sort of developments viable. We don't have the critical mass of people.

Our best bet would probably to try and develop some sort of park space on the Quays to make the area more visually appealing. Personally I think the North Quays will be destined to sit there as is for another 20 years or so.

jennygirl

hardybuck wrote: »

Our best bet would probably to try and develop some sort of park space on the Quays to make the area more visually appealing. Personally I think the North Quays will be destined to sit there as is for another 20 years or so.

if WIT were to build a new campus on the north quays - with maybe some accomodation, a few shops - would be a great start - maybe try and attract some "google" or similar operation to develop next door!

hardybuck

jennygirl wrote: »

if WIT were to build a new campus on the north quays - with maybe some accomodation, a few shops - would be a great start - maybe try and attract some "google" or similar operation to develop next door!

WIT are probably too far down the road with the Cork Road and Carriganore, and another campus that far away from the main campus is unlikely be suitable for them. Maybe 10 years ago, if they hadn't pursued Carriganore, this sort of move might have been a runner.

Dublin is barely big enough for Google. Even though it is surrounded by Universities and IT's, they are forced to recruit about 50% of their staff from overseas. There is chaos there on Fridays as people clamber for taxis to the airport. The other smaller IT companies are then sucked into the internet hub there due to the availability of office facilities, and more importantly the availability of talent. Waterford has neither the infastructure or international profile for anyone like that to locate there.

I don't mean to come across as overly negative. Those are decent ideas, but you can get a sense of the difficulties which somewhere like Waterford might face.

comeraghs

That big empty building in Ferrybank would be ideal for WIT to use as part of its campus. & the fact that it is in Co Kilkenny would help ensure that P. Hoagn might actually support it at cabinet.

shockwave

Rumour is Hogan is being moved out to europe when the cabinet reshuffle comes .Good riddance to him.

Nypd

shockwave wrote: »

Rumour is Hogan is being moved out to europe when the cabinet reshuffle comes .Good riddance to him.

Fingers crossed

Max Powers

comeraghs wrote: »

That big empty building in Ferrybank would be ideal for WIT to use as part of its campus. & the fact that it is in Co Kilkenny would help ensure that P. Hoagn might actually support it at cabinet.

not a good idea, WIT doesnt need to be spread out anymore in Waterford than it already is. as for Hogan going to EU, i would normally think having a minister in the SE would be a good idea, not this time.

O Riain

If Waterford City centre wants any hope of a revival then any future W.I.T development must be placed in the city centre. Thats why Galway, Cork and Dublin have a buzz about them. Young poeple in the city centre spending money and walking around, its something limerick and waterford lack. The arcitecture department was a start but more needs to be done. Carrignore is so far out it may as well not even be in the city.

Sully

jennygirl wrote: »

Limerick applied for funding for city centre & river side - we could do same - they for €230m!
compulsory acquisition of Quays and Sort it out- Matter of time to get some car parks off the quays - make em look beautiful - WIT could build new departments on north Quays. Some one needs to take control in this City

Are you gone mad?! There is absolutely no hope of WIT even wanting to build facilities on the North Quay!

jennygirl

O Riain wrote: »

If Waterford City centre wants any hope of a revival then any future W.I.T development must be placed in the city centre. Thats why Galway, Cork and Dublin have a buzz about them. Young poeple in the city centre spending money and walking around, its something limerick and waterford lack. The arcitecture department was a start but more needs to be done. Carrignore is so far out it may as well not even be in the city.

WIT will build facilities where it can get cheap land etc - and City Council will facilitate anything that will bring life to the city centre

Nypd

O Riain wrote: »

If Waterford City centre wants any hope of a revival then any future W.I.T development must be placed in the city centre. Thats why Galway, Cork and Dublin have a buzz about them. Young poeple in the city centre spending money and walking around, its something limerick and waterford lack. The arcitecture department was a start but more needs to be done. Carrignore is so far out it may as well not even be in the city.

Your bang on there.
WIT are or have moved their music dept down to the grannery in the quay.
It's a good move and will bring life back to that end of the city.