Another City Centre Closure

billy the squid

There has been talk of this happening for about a year or two now, but it is finally about to happen. Newsomes now the latest business in the city centre to close, making room for another pound shop/secondhand shop/charity shop for william street.

also observe the limerick post's l33t w3bsite skillz
http://www.limerickpost.ie/dailynews.elive?id=6761&category=Daily-Thu

Mr E

Heard about that this morning. Its a real shame....

spinalsly

well on the bright side maybe a good store will move in there as it is a very good site.

1huge1

spinalsly wrote:

well on the bright side maybe a good store will move in there as it is a very good site.

thats what i was thinking
be optimistic people

limerick_man

... its not really though... Marys of Limerick was right next to it!
That street is in decline the council need to move in and do something about it!

Amazotheamazing

And what can the council do? Change the economic reality facing shops in Ireland? Kenny's bookstore in Galway is closing too, and that was famous across the world, they're being priced out of the market.

limerick_man

Give tax incentives, do up the street! ..etc

1huge1

well hopefully some new popular shop will come in and bring up the area

billy the squid

limerick_man wrote:

Give tax incentives, do up the street! ..etc

all they need to do is to call a halt to the massive annual increases in the rates they have in the city centre, That is mainly what is pushing local businesses out of the town.

bazz26

Raising the price of parking disks by 50%, halving parking times in designated areas and turning three quarters of William St into a loading area didn't help either.

It is a real nightmare trying to find parking in or around the city centre these days, much easier to go to one of the shopping centres or retail parks(as they seem to be called now) and parking is free.

bluedolphin

limerick_man wrote:

That street is in decline the council need to move in and do something about it!

Ha! the whole city is in decline. Really, though, the city has just plumetted in the past number of years. With the growth of the Crescent, and now the emergence of the new retail park on Childers' Road, the city has just gone from bad to worse. There's nothing in the city tbh that you wouldn't be able to get in one of the suburban shopping areas. However in the suburbs you can get parking and rain shelter. It's a losing battle as far as city businesses are concerned unless the Council step in and actually spark up the centre. Perhaps a few less mobile phone shops? Lower rates for the shops there? something to actually entice newcomers?? More parking/less 'loading' bays???

In particular, WTF was the story with narrowing of Henry St.??? I realise that this was all done in conjunction with the pedestrianisation of Bedford Row, and all that, but in all honesty it has COMPLETELY f****d up traffic along there; it's a complete nightmare, day or night. And does anyone else notice that the traffic lights are not co-ordinated, so that if you get stuck at one red light, you conveniently manage to be stuck at them all.

Why would anyone bother coming into the city - get stuck in traffic, spend an average of 15-20 mins looking for parking, be exposed to rain/cold, do a bit of shopping in shops that are available elsewhere, get caught in traffic home.....end result: miserable humour.

/me scowls, very touchy subject grrrrrrrrrr

Amazotheamazing

Don't think the whole city is in decline, the Cresent, Riverpoint, the Quays and Henry Street have improved loads in recent years, and Bedford Row, Thomas Street and O'Connell street should be greatly improved by the new pedestrianisation. There's plenty of carparks in town btw.

William St and Parnell St are awful though.

mysterious

The city is not in decline , just because the city has a few recent closures!
Its a City.....
Things like this happen to every centre of population in the world!
There is so much now going on in this city.

Take a look and the third level institutions, there're thriving
Go into town on Saturday and its jam packed with shoppers
huge areas are been developed, Probably 5 fold as many buildings been have bee closed.

Take a look at how many derelict sites the city had 5 years ago
Even en entire street such as Henry street
take a look around,

Fair enough you have a fair point about the out of town centres,
What major towns in ireland that isn't building OFTCs

Limerick is by far, planning better than some major towns in Ireland.

Having said that, As billy said earlier, look at the pressure the city retailers have to deal with, huge rates ( one of the most the most expensive in the country) & of course the competition from SCs such as the Cresent, but if the city is to expand and thrive both internally, externally & in line with the ever improving infastructure, I see no problem in developments at large in Limerick. and city as a whole.

Traffic wise, That is gong to be sorted out once long waited pedstrianisation plan and the new Shannon tunnell is done,

Give the city a break!

Raiser

billy the squid wrote:

There has been talk of this happening for about a year or two now, but it is finally about to happen. Newsomes now the latest business in the city centre to close, making room for another pound shop/secondhand shop/charity shop for william street.

also observe the limerick post's l33t w3bsite skillz
http://www.limerickpost.ie/dailynews.elive?id=6761&category=Daily-Thu

Good riddance - staff there dealt with the public like they were barely managing to tolerate us. Maybe they'll enroll in charm school now that they've got some free time....

Amazotheamazing

Lads, I've said it before, Limerick is only at the early stages of a 10 or 15 year plan, we can't expect Limerick's problems, criminal, social, economic etc, to be solved overnight. We are moving in the right direction, crime rates are dropping, new secondary school being opened, pedestrianisation, building taller buildings, 2 city centre shopping centres on the way, extra river crossing, canal, kayaking hub being built on Clancy strand. These things take time.

sioda

Have also heard that Mc Carthys Furniture and Daly's are closing as well along with Sports 2000 well no great loss there. Plus this town needs a late nite coffee joint Anyone remember Puccini's in the good ol days

Amazotheamazing

Indeed, or when Java's used to stay open until 4 in the morning? It's a huge loss to the city centre that these places close in the evening. I assume when Bedford Row is re-opened Cafe on the Row will open later.

echomadman

William street in decline?
Its always been a craphole street for as long as i can remember. really needs bulldozing and rebuilding.

mysterious

Your point is somewhat regarded,
But there are distinct and interesting buildings architecturally on that street too but of course the likes of the gaudy shops and take away spars and centra style outlets is repressing and spoils the nice buildings, not to mention the embarrassment of the owners who leave their premises in such a state of the once glorious buildings in there old days now looks like
A repressed dirty street.

You know Williams street is really an eyesore for years as everyone said but still nothing done about it apart from the new pavemnt and streets improvemnts project, but the shops there are just to bloody awful and run down
on the plus side there are a good few new stores coming on that street and some buildings are been brought for hefty and record prices ,so obviously investors see potential as anyone would accept, the city counicl and some of the existing shop owners seem to neglect the street

sioda

Well the tone of William street aint changing Mary's closes and we get a €2 shop in its place A step forward or backwards would you think