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Dundalk public realm

  • 17-03-2020 8:04pm
    #1
    dave 27
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    Just wondering if there is a proper public realm in place for Dundalk? Was driving around some parts of the town the other day and i couldnt help but notice a few places looking quite run down, especially around the long walk shopping centre area.

    Curious to see if there is any improvement works planned for the area?


Comments

  • #2
    henryporter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,089 ✭✭✭henryporter


    I think the Clanbrassil Street/Bridge Street works were all that is intended for the Town for some time - and they made a bags of that to be honest - terrible quality of design and work compared to main street in Castlebar for example.

    The Square would be the only place they got it right


  • #3
    dave 27
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭dave 27


    henryporter wrote: »
    I think the Clanbrassil Street/Bridge Street works were all that is intended for the Town for some time - and they made a bags of that to be honest - terrible quality of design and work compared to main street in Castlebar for example.

    The Square would be the only place they got it right

    The square looks very nice i have to say, it would be great to have a plan put in place to work out from the square on a street by street basis, at the moment town just looks like a miss match of houses, some proper design and some trees badly needed!


  • #4
    antix80
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭antix80


    I'm not sure of the legalities, but the best thing the council could do is hike rates on vacant properties rather than reduced rates or give exemptions. So year one, if a property is vacant charge full rates (exemptions only if it's due to renovation or an emergency like a leak or a fire that can be put right within an agreed timeframe). Year two, double the rates. Year three, quadruple them, and so on.
    At some stage, the owner will decide to make a proper go of it or sell or lease the building to someone else. I'm thinking of that Dunnes stores in park street in particular. Some of the funds could be used to prevent anti-social behaviour, renovated the storefront if it falls in disrepair, perhaps even provide some funds as a grant to the person taking over the building.
    To me, that is a fair way of redistributing wealth.


  • #5
    dave 27
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭dave 27


    I think they need to look at other viable options too, im originally from Limerick which over the years has suffered from big out of town retail and shopping centres which left the centre of town suffering, but there has been a lot of investment over the last number of years pedestrianising streets, cutting taxes within the centre, not allowing for shopping centres to be build or extended outside of the city centre, gettting the university to invest in property in the city centre and its starting to have a positive affect.

    something similar could be looked at with Dundalk, ok the money might be on a smaller scale but it is worth trying to re-create the town and the feel of the place


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