North Quays

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

I'm sure you have some good points but was railway sq not more retail?

As for apartment living, I agree to an extend but if they are big enough they work. Nobody will likely live in one forever but if your young they are perfectly fine.

Office Space size is a big issue and there is no real big space in Waterford to attract companies who may create like 200 jobs etc which you see announced in Dublin every few weeks.

The real problem is lack of work from the IDA outside Cork/Galway/Dublin or the stroke politics which suddenly say hundreds of jobs going to Nenagh because Kelly was going to lose his seat. I don't for a second believe such a company would of set up there.

I don't want to be a Jonah, I am trying to be realistic. There is a massive office complex on the Cork Road behind the Motor Mile. More offices out by the Holy Cross and Carriganore and tons dotted around the City, let alone easy-to-develop sites such as the old Crystal factory. There is a world of a difference between jobs announcements, particularly around election time, and actual results.

I just cannot see any developer in the current environment taking a chance on some wandering FDI, nor any bank backing it. Short (medium / Long ?) term there should be some sort of a public amenity or park. Anything would better than the old eyesore anyway.

looksee wrote: »

I can't see why any developer would want to put in planning permission, given the chances of a random serial objector putting his spoke in.

A strategic development zone is defined as a site or sites for which a planning scheme has been made and is in force. The local authority will be the driver of the planning application so developers will have no involvement at that stage. It's effectively a fast track planning application and approval process to enable works to commence. Developers, if interested, will need to abide by the approved planning application.

Deise Vu wrote: »

I don't want to be a Jonah, I am trying to be realistic. There is a massive office complex on the Cork Road behind the Motor Mile. More offices out by the Holy Cross and Carriganore and tons dotted around the City, let alone easy-to-develop sites such as the old Crystal factory. There is a world of a difference between jobs announcements, particularly around election time, and actual results.

I just cannot see any developer in the current environment taking a chance on some wandering FDI, nor any bank backing it. Short (medium / Long ?) term there should be some sort of a public amenity or park. Anything would better than the old eyesore anyway.

Very little suitable modern office in the city centre outside of Maritana Gate

robtri wrote: »

plenty of modern or easily converted to modern office space... Maritana gate not that special IMHO..

big problem with the available office space is parking and size, biggest is 20,000 sq ft at the moment out there ..... most compnaies wnat to be able to offer there employees parking, as this is a huge issue for prospective employees.. Railway square has none, Behind motor mall has crap spaces, car parking on offer is scattered all over the place and really unsuitable, also its with NAMA.... and no one wants to deal with them if they can...
Holy Cross front building is full.... not sure on the other building in the back...

it has a car park underneath

robtri wrote: »

plenty of modern or easily converted to modern office space... Maritana gate not that special IMHO..

big problem with the available office space is parking and size, biggest is 20,000 sq ft at the moment out there ..... most compnaies wnat to be able to offer there employees parking, as this is a huge issue for prospective employees.. Railway square has none, Behind motor mall has crap spaces, car parking on offer is scattered all over the place and really unsuitable, also its with NAMA.... and no one wants to deal with them if they can...
Holy Cross front building is full.... not sure on the other building in the back..

There is plenty of parking in the city centre, there is not too many office complexes in Dublin with their own significant parking facilities.

robtri wrote: »

plenty of modern or easily converted to modern office space... Maritana gate not that special IMHO..

big problem with the available office space is parking and size, biggest is 20,000 sq ft at the moment out there ..... most compnaies wnat to be able to offer there employees parking, as this is a huge issue for prospective employees.. Railway square has none, Behind motor mall has crap spaces, car parking on offer is scattered all over the place and really unsuitable, also its with NAMA.... and no one wants to deal with them if they can...
Holy Cross front building is full.... not sure on the other building in the back...

Car Parking shouldn't matter for city centre developments. Google only have 80 car parking spaces in their Dublin offices on Barrow Street which house over 5000 people now.

Well I think any large-scale development would have to be built with public transport in mind or a private solution provided. In many industrial estates and office parks in Dublin, private shuttle buses are run to accommodate workers while Dublin Bus run buses through certain office parks around rush hour as well.

AdMMM wrote: »

Well I think any large-scale development would have to be built with public transport in mind or a private solution provided. In many industrial estates and office parks in Dublin, private shuttle buses are run to accommodate workers while Dublin Bus run buses through certain office parks around rush hour as well.

The north quays are beside the train station, across from the bus station and in the city centre, pubic transport is not a an issue IMO, themore you think about it, its just a deadly spot for a small IFSC /type place, the lack of political weight and funds is the main issues.in general we don't have public transport problems in city centre a lot of the buses are running half empty a lot of the time, until we start using it, more buses/routes are not gonna happen.

Max Powers wrote: »

The north quays are beside the train station, across from the bus station and in the city centre, pubic transport is not a an issue IMO, themore you think about it, its just a deadly spot for a small IFSC /type place, the lack of political weight and funds is the main issues.in general we don't have public transport problems in city centre a lot of the buses are running half empty a lot of the time, until we start using it, more buses/routes are not gonna happen.

What good is it being beside a train station that doesn't enable you to be in Waterford until 9:40am in the morning? And you don't think that's a problem?

Yes, it might be right across from the bus station but that's then still a 12 minute walk across the bridge which wouldn't be the most fun thing on rainy mornings, especially given how exposed that bridge is.

My whole point was around needing to arrange something convenient for workers i.e. having some buses service that area around rush hour. An example would be the 75 bus route in Dublin that takes a five minute diversion through the Sandyford Office Park before 9am and after 5pm which drops and picks up at various stops around the park before carrying on its normal route.

You say we don't have public transport issues but would you not concede that the Kenneally's Bus service on the Dunmore Road for a start is completely undependable? Buses may be half empty but do you not stop and think that this might just be because they're unreliable?

cgcsb wrote: »

It really doesn't relative to it's size. In Dublin you're talking over an hour from the edge to the Centre. Waterford buses hardly take 20 mins to get from the edge to the centre.

its all very relative alright. i do think dublin is very well serviced but in saying that, im sure theres public transport black spots there to. our public buses are very well under used, and we will lose them if this doesnt change but you can kinna understand why they are. we ve all become too use to our cars, including myself. i use to use the city service a good bit before i got the car. havent set foot on a city bus in a long time. its a pity as its a very important service for us all, particularly those that need it on a regular basis. i wouldnt like to see it disappear.

After what seems like a long time since any considerable movement on site , two large long reach excavators have now commenced demolishing the smallest of the larger structures.

News and Star Posted a Video on their Facebook ( Sorry cant seem to link correctly today )

Great to hear they are finally being demolished, if anyone can post pictures of progress for those who aren't in waterford any more that would be great! Also is the flour mills building that was listed still going to escape demolition or has the protection been removed?

JohnC. wrote: »

Friday.

Good photos there. I presume the glacial progress versus the speed at which the fire station was demolished is due to asbestos issues.

I am surprised they didn't attack the silos sooner though. There would be some instant return on the scrap and it would have been a quick 'win' so to speak.