The Stranglehold on Waterford

Fate Amenable To Change

I have to say every time I go down the Quay I find it amazing that we don't have shops, cafes, etc. on both and I'm struck by the fact that the people who own the car parks appear to have no inclination to do anything other than keep the money rolling in while the town as a whole suffers. Meanwhile up in Ardkeen a Costa Coffee was built in a carpark and it looks fantastic and IMO its a crime that theres not anything like it on the Quay. Any City/Town that is doing well has a main street of shops, cafes, pubs and just a general buzz... ours should be the Quay but it will never be no matter how badly we want it as long as the stranglehold continues.

paulfosters

was thinking the same myself. it would be great to have even temporary cafes etc on the riverside for the tourist season. any activity on the river side would be great.

dzilla

I wud agree but i wud say o connell street more than the quay

TheQuietFella

Berfranks!

The Bowling Alley

TheQuietFella wrote: »

Berfranks!

I think you misinterpreted the original post. You could write 1000 pages on the mistakes that have been made in Waterford and the changes that would need to be made to bring the city up to the ranks of Galway and cork etc.

People try to defend Waterford's title of "city" but really it is nothing more than a town as we look downright embarrassed compared to the actual cities.

Ballyv24

Fate Amenable To Change wrote: »

I have to say every time I go down the Quay I find it amazing that we don't have shops, cafes, etc. on both and I'm struck by the fact that the people who own the car parks appear to have no inclination to do anything other than keep the money rolling in while the town as a whole suffers. Meanwhile up in Ardkeen a Costa Coffee was built in a carpark and it looks fantastic and IMO its a crime that theres not anything like it on the Quay. Any City/Town that is doing well has a main street of shops, cafes, pubs and just a general buzz... ours should be the Quay but it will never be no matter how badly we want it as long as the stranglehold continues.

I agree. I have written this on a few Waterford threads on boards, but most people love the view of the river. I think that there is plenty room to develop apartments offices and retail space while leaving room for a river walk.

Another good suggestion that I have seen is to replace the car parks with a green area

The Bowling Alley

If the money was available, which it's not of course, the area by the brewery would be perfect for high rise parking. Do up the quayside then with some galleries and cafés and people could take them in as they walk into town
As it is now the town is a disaster.

fricatus

The view of the river is a great asset. It gives the city a wonderful open character, which you don't get in lots of other places.

The only change I would make is to put the car parking underground along the Quay and create green space in its place. Something like the centre of the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid (you can see this on Google Streetview - green space with trees, wide pedestrian walkway).

Harry Palmr

Nothing on the quay should be more than one story high and certainly there should be nothing "continuous" so robbing the quays of readily accessible frontage.

Ballyv24

Coming across the bridge, I'd be far more impressed with some new modern buildings in place of the car parks. I think the existing view of Waterford as you cross the bridge is very dated looking. I agree that if some development was ever to go in place of the car parks, it should not be continuous. Two or more large open areas should be left with access to a river walk.. And what I would really love would be a footbridge across the river..

Fortunately for everyone that disagrees with me, I don't have the money to pay for my vision

JohnC.

Remind me again how getting rid of a substantial portion of city centre parking attracts more people to come to the city centre? People can look at all these nice new, and empty, cafes and shops as they pass through on the way to somewhere they can park.

danjo-xx

Society has changed so much and peoples circumstances I dont think there is any silver bullet for any city. Look at my home town Dublin, O'Connell St is not a safe place to be even in daytime. If councils cant get it right up there with all our money, what chance here.

Their going to make it a lovely place to be for the 2016 celebrations:eek:

DeiseforLiam

fricatus wrote: »

The view of the river is a great asset. It gives the city a wonderful open character, which you don't get in lots of other places.

The only change I would make is to put the car parking underground along the Quay and create green space in its place. Something like the centre of the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid (you can see this on Google Streetview - green space with trees, wide pedestrian walkway).

I would agree with this. It's a shame that the whole quay is dedicated to overground parking when it should be a civic amenity. I also think that another bridge is needed, even a pedestrian bridge.

cuana

fricatus wrote: »

The view of the river is a great asset. It gives the city a wonderful open character, which you don't get in lots of other places.

The only change I would make is to put the car parking underground along the Quay and create green space in its place. Something like the centre of the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid (you can see this on Google Streetview - green space with trees, wide pedestrian walkway).

They definitely need to make better use of the space along the Quay.

danjo-xx

If the city is going to take its self serious it needs to develop the north quay what a difference that would make.

Harry Palmr

There is a thread on that hot topic somewhere I saw. Looked quite exciting!

bizguy

Just back from a city called Windsor in Canada. Same main road 50 to 100 meters from the river. Type "Dieppe Gardens" into Google to see what's possible, check out the first image

TheQuietFella

danjo-xx wrote: »

If the city is going to take its self serious it needs to develop the north quay what a difference that would make.

What it all honesty would you put in there?
I'ld love to see something done to the site but what?

Don't say another shopping complex!

Chiparus

Ballyv24 wrote: »

Coming across the bridge, I'd be far more impressed with some new modern buildings in place of the car parks. I think the existing view of Waterford as you cross the bridge is very dated looking. I agree that if some development was ever to go in place of the car parks, it should not be continuous. Two or more large open areas should be left with access to a river walk.. And what I would really love would be a footbridge across the river..

Fortunately for everyone that disagrees with me, I don't have the money to pay for my vision

coming down the dual carriage way from the m9 , the main things you see are a cenent roadstone silo, with ugly pylons above it. The waterfront from the guiness plant down is actually ok.

Harry Palmr

TheQuietFella wrote: »

What it all honesty would you put in there?
I'ld love to see something done to the site but what?

Don't say another shopping complex!

I'd put in a car park..no wait a park. Something that can be ripped up easily enough for a shopping and apartment complex when Celtic Tiger Mark 3 reaches us in the latter part of the century.

danjo-xx

TheQuietFella wrote: »

What it all honesty would you put in there?
I'ld love to see something done to the site but what?

Don't say another shopping complex!

That's a topic for another day, but imho any city that has a river running through it should have both sides of it developed otherwise it only looks like half a city.


The north quay is an eyesore, and must give tourists an awful impression of the city. Why can't heads be knocked together to get it even flattened, at least that would be a start and should be done now.

debit2credit

TheQuietFella wrote: »

What it all honesty would you put in there?
I'ld love to see something done to the site but what?

Don't say another shopping complex!

-Train station
- Pedestrian/cycle bridge
- WIT building(s)
- landmark (think iAMSTERDAM)
- quayside park/gardens incl playground
- small coffee shops and kiosks
- art gallery & theatre/performance area
- bike / segway rental
- free wifi zones
- marina
- wine bars & restaurants

A few ideas...

TheQuietFella

debit2credit wrote: »

-Train station
- Pedestrian/cycle bridge
- WIT building(s)
- landmark (think iAMSTERDAM)
- quayside park/gardens incl playground
- small coffee shops and kiosks
- art gallery & theatre/performance area
- bike / segway rental
- free wifi zones
- marina
- wine bars & restaurants

In my opinion there is nothing in the above to even consider with the exception
of a theatre, something like the Bord Gais Theatre / Sydney Opera House but that won't
happen on this side of the 21st century.

We already have the rest in some shape or form.

debit2credit

TheQuietFella wrote: »

We already have the rest in some shape or form.

Unless it's an oracle you're after we do have most facilities that other places have in waterford and yet a lot of people and tourists aren't impressed. Why is that?

Interestingly a poster in the AH worst towns in ireland thread gives out about a certain mentality in waterford that "we already have xyz..." and that there is little drive to improve and better our city for ourselves and tourists alike in order to maintain the status quo.

I think we deserve better.

TheQuietFella

debit2credit wrote: »

Unless it's an oracle you're after we do have most facilities that other places have in waterford and yet a lot of people and tourists aren't impressed. Why is that?

Interestingly another poster in that AH thread gives out about a certain mentality in waterford that "we already have xyz..." and that there is little drive to improve and better our city for ourselves and tourists alike in order to maintain the status quo.

I think we deserve better.

And what from the list can be improved upon that we already have?
I personally don't see the need for a pedestrian bridge that spans the river for example.
Gardens & a playground along the Quay bring their own issues & problems & the WIT have a foothold in every corner of the city.

We need something to bring in paying customers & that benefits the community through
employment & services supplied... something that's new & innovative.

debit2credit

TheQuietFella wrote: »

And what from the list can be improved upon that we already have?

I don't see what you're trying to say here? Always room for improvement.

TheQuietFella wrote: »

I personally don't see the need for a pedestrian bridge that spans the river for example.

Ok maybe I'm the only one feels like one bridge isn't enough to connect the city better

TheQuietFella wrote: »

Gardens & a playground along the Quay bring their own issues & problems

Not being smart....but honestly what issues do you envisage here ?

TheQuietFella wrote: »

& the WIT have a foothold in every corner of the city.

One of our best assets and should be expanded imo. Not hived out into the countryside.

TheQuietFella wrote: »

We need something to bring in paying customers & that benefits the community through
employment & services supplied... something that's new & innovative.

The North quays are an expansive area no reason why both couldn't be done. I'm against white elephants though. We don't the population to sustain them and I think that prime land should be used to actually make life a little better for waterford folk. Integrating public transport is a vital first step imo.

Max Powers

What we need to do is support the city centre instead of whinging about minor issues and efforts made to improve the place. Fanicful ideas of turning the keys into some fancy water front area will only happen if people support the city centre. Who is gonna take a punt on building some of this fancy stuff unless they see lots of people around, vibrancy etc

All these great 'pie in the sky' suggestions and some of the same people complain that they dont go into city centre because of traffic, parking, works on quay, expense, rather sit on ar$e in local/at home, drive to out of town restaurant etc etc

TheQuietFella

TheQuietFella wrote: »

In my opinion there is nothing in the above to even consider with the exception of a theatre, something like the Bord Gais Theatre / Sydney Opera House but that won't happen on this side of the 21st century.

We already have the rest in some shape or form.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/new-50m-concert-venue-gets-green-light-in-cork-30857034.html

Well done to Cork!

Max Powers

TheQuietFella wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/new-50m-concert-venue-gets-green-light-in-cork-30857034.html

Well done to Cork!

didnt read article but there is about 10m tax payers money going into a largely private facility, bad form when there are so many other worthier causes. Good for Cork and they have the population, city centre support and economy to probably make a good go of it.

sparkling sea

Waterford is a wet and windy city, easy access for cars is all the most people want, most people very rarely get what they want and that's why Waterford is slowly dying

7upfree

sparkling sea wrote: »

Waterford is a wet and windy city, easy access for cars is all the most people want, most people very rarely get what they want and that's why Waterford is slowly dying

Waterford is not dying. It is being murdered. Big difference. We CAN pull out of this. If we had political representatives who could actually REPRESENT us.

jennygirl

Kahless wrote: »

Remind me again how getting rid of a substantial portion of city centre parking attracts more people to come to the city centre? People can look at all these nice new, and empty, cafes and shops as they pass through on the way to somewhere they can park.

Making the quay side a green area will attract a multitude of people who want to enjoy the city - as it stands the quay is a concrete parking jungle --- build it and they will come!

pavb2

jennygirl wrote: »

Making the quay side a green area will attract a multitude of people who want to enjoy the city - as it stands the quay is a concrete parking jungle --- build it and they will come!

Agreed doesn't necessarily have to be developed with shops and cafes look at wexford a lovely place to go for a walk along the front. Also though not on the same scale new ross now has a pleasant promenade and the benefits you would think would outway the cost particularly if it attracts more tourists.

deisegreenway

jennygirl wrote: »

Making the quay side a green area will attract a multitude of people who want to enjoy the city - as it stands the quay is a concrete parking jungle --- build it and they will come!

With the Deise Greenway running next to the river for the length of The Quay... Type "parc des sports saint michel Bordeaux" into Google Images and see what they done with their riverside area...similar width as Waterford, half as long. In summer with thousands of flowers, it's truly spectacular. We can have this.

spookwoman

They could knock part of O'Connell street, from about the granary down towards the quay on the left side for carparks. TBH the place is looking very dodgy these days and not somewhere I would go for a walk along.

MRnotlob606

O Connell Street is in a bad way to be honest .Needs a bit of urban renewal.

Shane07

O Connell street is in a awful condition with its 1960s overhead wires and rusty poles and broken footpaths.I think Parnell st O Connell st and Johns st need to be done asap

Asmodean

I was back down over the Christmas for a few days and I have to admit the place was looking up since last time I was home. It was a plasure to take a stroll around town. It being Christmas and all probably helped. I only manage to get down a couple of times a year but there was definitely an improvement I thought. The old cinema reopening brought a smile to my face and there seemed to be a lot more cafes and 'quirky' little shops opened up around.

waterford2015

It it were up to me, I'd create a low cost multistory car park a few minutes walk away, and remove the car park from the quay. I'd also add some more inviting seating areas, maybe with picnic tables.

People love to go for a walk down the quay, and it would be a great idea to brighten the place up. Perhaps they could put a bunch of small retail units like the ones at the end of the promenade in Tramore, which could be turned into coffee stalls, chippers or tourist shops?

But what would be even more cool, is if they built a pier going out into the river that people could walk down, with benches for people to sit on.

I would love it if they never modernised the Quay in the first place actually. Sometimes people change things too much.