New courts complex Mulgrave Street

Vanquished

I've found some images of the proposed courts complex due to be built on the site of a former artillery barracks beside the prison.

It's expected that construction will commence next year. Good to see that they intend to retain the historical gatehouses at the entrance to the site.

Hooked

Is this proposed opposite the fire station/Leonard's motors...?

Poxyshamrock

Hooked wrote: »

Is this proposed opposite the fire station/Leonard's motors...?

Yeah, that's it! I really like the look of it.

Cookiemunster

That looks pretty good. Much larger than I was expecting too. I didn't realise the site was that big.

bennyl10

Would that take over Jerry o'Deas then?. Or further down again?

phog

Good to see that they seem to be incorporating the current stonework in the frontage.

Vanquished

bennyl10 wrote: »

Would that take over Jerry o'Deas then?. Or further down again?

Nope. It's this site;

https://maps.google.com/maphp?hl=en&ll=52.660181,-8.614697&spn=0.007549,0.021136&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=52.660234,-8.618977&panoid=U7JigKcxI_i4JwFmSA1nxA&cbp=12,238.83,,0,0

bennyl10

Vanquished wrote: »

Nope. It's this site;

https://maps.google.com/maphp?hl=en&ll=52.660181,-8.614697&spn=0.007549,0.021136&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=52.660234,-8.618977&panoid=U7JigKcxI_i4JwFmSA1nxA&cbp=12,238.83,,0,0

Ah thanks a million

apc

Apparently Odeas, bookies etc have been bought by Dept Justice

Kev_2012

so does that mean all the knacks are gonna be on mulgrave st now?

zulutango

Am I right in saying that there will be direct access to and from the prison from here (whether Jerry O'Dea's stays or not)? Wasn't that one of the main reasons to relocate to that area?

Also, there's a bit of confusion about which court is being relocated. My understanding is that it is the District Court, which (I think) is currently part of the modern Civic Offices building. The Circuit Court will still be held in the old courthouse on Merchant's Quay, or is that being vacated too?

topper75

Kev_2012 wrote: »

so does that mean all the knacks are gonna be on mulgrave st now?

Like they weren't before? :eek:

The human figures and their dress style in that artist's representation are, shall we say, not representative.:P

Cookiemunster

zulutango wrote: »

Am I right in saying that there will be direct access to and from the prison from here (whether Jerry O'Dea's stays or not)? Wasn't that one of the main reasons to relocate to that area?

There was talk of a tunnel from the prison into the court house.

zulutango wrote: »

Also, there's a bit of confusion about which court is being relocated. My understanding is that it is the District Court, which (I think) is currently part of the modern Civic Offices building. The Circuit Court will still be held in the old courthouse on Merchant's Quay, or is that being vacated too?

Looking at the size of it, I'd say they're moving everything. They'd still have prisoner transfer, squad cars and "unsociables" hanging around outside the main entrance into city hall if they don't, which was another reason to move.

EDIT. Found an article from March

Ground level link form the prison to the court house.

The current courthouse at Merchant’s Quay is to be vacated by the Courts Service and will act as a new headquarters for Limerick City and County Council.

]The new court complex will cover an area of 7350 square metres and will comprise six courtrooms, high security custody areas, offices for Courts Service staff and associated facilities.

zulutango

Where can we get confirmation of that? I've heard different stories locally, and the press seem fairly clueless on the issue.

And if the old courthouse is to be vacated, what's going in there?

gryff

you know that looks like it was designed using minecraft - which if true would be pretty cool. I hope if it built that they do plant those trees out front - the building needs them ! Be nice to have the block developed , its pretty grim looking at the moment.

zulutango

Cookiemunster wrote: »

There was talk of a tunnel from the prison into the court house.



Looking at the size of it, I'd say they're moving everything. They'd still have prisoner transfer, squad cars and "unsociables" hanging around outside the main entrance into city hall if they don't, which was another reason to move.

EDIT. Found an article from March

Ground level link form the prison to the court house.

The current courthouse at Merchant’s Quay is to be vacated by the Courts Service and will act as a new headquarters for Limerick City and County Council.

]The new court complex will cover an area of 7350 square metres and will comprise six courtrooms, high security custody areas, offices for Courts Service staff and associated facilities.

They could still only be talking about the District Court though, as it is also on Merchant's Quay (i.e. Civic Offices).

Poxyshamrock

zulutango wrote: »

And if the old courthouse is to be vacated, what's going in there?

Limerick City and County Council will take it over.

zulutango

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Limerick City and County Council will take it over.

Anything definite to confirm that? The article that cookiemunster linked to was ambiguous ...

Vanquished

Noonan mentioned it as well recently. But then again he also claimed that proposed pedestrian bridge would run along the top of the weir!

Cookiemunster

zulutango wrote: »

They could still only be talking about the District Court though, as it is also on Merchant's Quay (i.e. Civic Offices).

They're building a massive new court complex with 6 court rooms, high security custody areas and a direct link to the prison. They're not going move the district court and leave the higher level circuit court at Merchants Quay, seeing as it's the circuit court that requires high security custody areas and a direct link to the prison.

Firefox11

topper75 wrote: »

Like they weren't before? :eek:

The human figures and their dress style in that artist's representation are, shall we say, not representative.:P

Yes. Looks like this was was designed sometime in the 70's? .

zulutango

Cookiemunster wrote: »

They're building a massive new court complex with 6 court rooms, high security custody areas and a direct link to the prison. They're not going move the district court and leave the higher level circuit court at Merchants Quay, seeing as it's the circuit court that requires high security custody areas and a direct link to the prison.

Yep, I gather that, but it would be good to see it confirmed somewhere. All the reporting is very ambiguous and one seemingly well placed person told me that the it was only the district court that was moving and that the circuit court was staying put. I do appreciate that the size of the new building suggests that all the courts are going up to Mulgrave Street.

Mc Love

Are the council moving from the place in Dooradoyle then? That makes no sense as its a fine building

Cookiemunster

Mc Love wrote: »

Are the council moving from the place in Dooradoyle then? That makes no sense as its a fine building

They're using both City Hall and County Hall in Dooradoyle, with the council meeting on alternate months in each. Some services have been centralised into the city center so there is some empty space in there. I read recently that one floor of county hall has been rented out. Can't remember who rented it though.

damo80

Between the schools and main road into town traffic there will be a nightmare

Cookiemunster

damo80 wrote: »

Between the schools and main road into town traffic there will be a nightmare

Why? If you look at the site plan all vehicular access is via Roxboro Rd rather than Mulgrave Street into a private car park. Plus as there'll be a direct link to the prison there'll be no need for prisoner transport or extra Gardai.

zulutango

It definitely makes sense from a logistics point of view. I just hope that all the courts go up there, and not just the District Court.

I wonder how much of a negative economic impact it will have on the Merchant's Quay area. Maybe it'll have a positive one?

Vanquished

One would hope that an imaginative use can be found for the current courthouse building which dates from 1809. It would be a serious waste if it was just converted in to extra office space for the council.

An overall solution needs to be found for the area at large as well encompassing the Potato Market and the space used primarily for car parking. A public plaza should be developed here with the riverside opened up between Matthew Bridge and the courthouse too.

Poxyshamrock

There was talk a few years back about the City Library moving into the courthouse. I'm not sure if that's still the plan.

damo80

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Why? If you look at the site plan all vehicular access is via Roxboro Rd rather than Mulgrave Street into a private car park. Plus as there'll be a direct link to the prison there'll be no need for prisoner transport or extra Gardai.

I stand corrected sorry missed it.

sioda

Move the library and museum in there would be fantastic decent coffee shop to take in the view

BobMc

if its built all courts will move there in my opinion, the want the area around city hall free from any "element"

topper75

Beware creating public plazas that are not also natural thoroughfares. Have we learned nothing from Arthur's Quay "park".

boomerang

I will be sad to see the parade ground go.

Cookiemunster

boomerang wrote: »

I will be sad to see the parade ground go.

I don't think there's much left of the original buildings other than the gate houses, which are being incorporated into that design.

boomerang

They make no sense without the context of an enclosed grounds, tho. It's been a while since I've been in there so you could be right.

As the entrance archways were build to withstand an artillery explosion I wonder did it just make better sense to preserve them.

topper75

Credit to those parade ground fellas. Limerick would have been overrun with injuns only for them.

kaislinn

gryff wrote: »

you know that looks like it was designed using minecraft - which if true would be pretty cool. I hope if it built that they do plant those trees out front - the building needs them ! Be nice to have the block developed , its pretty grim looking at the moment.

gryff, where did you come across that map? Any idea how old it is?

IsaacWunder

BobMc wrote: »

if its built all courts will move there in my opinion, the want the area around city hall free from any "element"

They could leave the civil courts in the existing courthouse by St Mary's and move criminal to the new courthouse in Mulgrave St. That's what happened with the Four Courts in Dublin: Supreme and civil courts still are based there, but the criminal stuff is now in the new complex by the Phoenix Park.

IsaacWunder

topper75 wrote: »

Beware creating public plazas that are not also natural thoroughfares. Have we learned nothing from Arthur's Quay "park".

Where Arthur's Quay park fell down was the lack of cafe, restaurant and bars around it. A few small establishments with outdoor seating in the park would have been a great draw for shoppers and tourists...as opposed to the open air drug market that sprung up there.

Cookiemunster

An update from the Leader

Contracts should be signed next October and work will start immediately with completion in mid 2017. The criminal district court will move to the new court house while the Circuit Court in the old custom house building will be kept for civil and family law.

vkid

IsaacWunder wrote: »

as opposed to the open air drug market that sprung up there.

eh? Never seen a dealer in Arthurs Quay Park, never mind an open air drugs market. Thats not to say dealers were not there...but calling it an open air drugs market is just hyperbole

gryff

kaislinn wrote: »

gryff, where did you come across that map? Any idea how old it is?

its a screen cap from the ordnance survey website - so not sure if it legal to do this !!.. its a great site - you can look at the original 1840s map. This map is later at a guess early 20th century..
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,558170,656778,7,9

IsaacWunder

vkid wrote: »

eh? Never seen a dealer in Arthurs Quay Park, never mind an open air drugs market. Thats not to say dealers were not there...but calling it an open air drugs market is just hyperbole

Not so. Open dealing was very common there in the days before the CCTV cameras went in as the guards very rarely went into the park. The dealers have moved on since the cameras were erected and the railings/hedges around the park were torn down.

Poxyshamrock

Anyone else see the HUGE walls they're building at the moment on site? Is this to do with the courthouse?

zulutango

Cookiemunster wrote: »

An update from the Leader

Contracts should be signed next October and work will start immediately with completion in mid 2017. The criminal district court will move to the new court house while the Circuit Court in the old custom house building will be kept for civil and family law.

The old Custom House building is currently The Hunt Museum. Presume you mean the old courthouse?

Pete_Cavan

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Anyone else see the HUGE walls they're building at the moment on site? Is this to do with the courthouse?

The wall is an enabling works project to separate the courthouse site and the site of a new prison wing to be constructed there. You can see from the site plan in the OP that the site does not run along Roxboro Road as you might expect, the prison will extend into that part of the site behind the courthouse.

sleepyman

Does anyone know has this started yet?I thought I saw something about it due to start in November.

crackcrack30

Will the new courts be a good or bad thing for this area of mulgrave street?

Will it bring a needed facelift to the area and additional shops & cafes ect..
or will the area be less desirable due to the court 'clients'?

will many people work there?...... in short positive or negative for the area?

Poxyshamrock

I think it'll be a positive thing for the area. It'll clean up that bit of Mulgrave Street. Having said that you will probably see a few more heads up in that area.

I don't think it'll bring new businesses but I think the likes of the Horse and Hound, O'Neill's, etc. will do well from it.

sleepyman

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I think it'll be a positive thing for the area. It'll clean up that bit of Mulgrave Street. Having said that you will probably see a few more heads up in that area.

I don't think it'll bring new businesses but I think the likes of the Horse and Hound, O'Neill's, etc. will do well from it.

Has work started on it?