Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Limerick 2030 Economic Plan

12357

Comments

  • #122
    Vanquished
    Registered Users Posts: 1,017 ✭✭✭Vanquished


    Stab*City wrote: »
    The city centre though at the moment is bleaker and more soulless than anywhere in the suburbs. So why would any company in their right mind be the first to take the plunge.

    Ah come off it! That's rubbish and exactly the type of mentality we need to shake off.

    It's almost becoming a cliche among certain people that the city centre is a lifeless, empty dump that's best avoided!

    Given a choice between a business park on the outskirts of town with no amenities, where you usually have to drive somewhere to even get a cup of coffee and a bite to eat or the city centre which has a multitude of such facilities and much more. I know which I would choose!

    If appropriate accommodation is provided in the city centre there is no reason why it would not be attractive to potential tenants.


  • #123
    Totally Tropical
    Registered Users Posts: 408 ✭✭Totally Tropical


    Vanquished wrote: »
    Ah come off it! That's rubbish and exactly the type of mentality we need to shake off.

    It's almost becoming a cliche among certain people that the city centre is a lifeless, empty dump that's best avoided!

    Given a choice between a business park on the outskirts of town with no amenities, where you usually have to drive somewhere to even get a cup of coffee and a bite to eat or the city centre which has a multitude of such facilities and much more. I know which I would choose!

    If appropriate accommodation is provided in the city centre there is no reason why it would not be attractive to potential tenants.

    I think this talk about Limerick city centre being this sort of barren and derelict wasteland is a bit of an overreaction.However can you honestly say with a straight face that you are happy with the way the city centre is in it's present form with closed up shops and a proliferation of crappy discount stores and poor policing?I don't think the city centre is either a write off or a perfect place with no flaws.The truth is somewhere in between those two extremes.btw I think their planning to do something about that Opera Avenue site.It's a shame to see a sight with so much potential and right in the centre of the city just left abandoned like that.


  • #124
    zulutango
    Registered Users Posts: 3,903 ✭✭✭zulutango


    I think the city centre is a far more attractive place to work (and live!) than the suburbs. But there's no doubt that a lot of work can be done.

    For starters, it's not the most pedestrian friendly city. I'd like to see the footpaths significantly widened and Patrick Street and O'Connell Street reduced to a single lane of traffic (slowed traffic, shared surface). How that could be achieved needs a lot of thought. The orbital route doesn't really cut it. But however it's achieved, it must happen.

    One way traffic systems are a disaster for cyclists too, so this needs to be addressed.

    The end goal should be to get the cars, as much as possible, out of the city centre. If other, much bigger cities, can do it, then we can too.


  • #125
    Exile on Grafton St.
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Exile on Grafton St.


    Maybe a summary of what posters think should be done to renew the city centre is in order!


    Below is a list of what I remember being mentioned:
    1. The Green on Parnell Street being made into a dog park and/or merged with the People's Park
    2. Better retail offering that reflects Limerick status as a regional city and not just a large town, such as new large modern retail units, or existing retail units being merged, and multiples encouraged to set up in the city (especially menswear)
    3. Indoor skate park/golf and bowling (I would also add lazertag)
    4. Cinema
    5. Upgrading of O'Connell Street and Patrick's Street to make it more attractive to pedestrians (but not necessarily pedestrianisation)
    6. Old Dunnes Stores knocked down and something (anything) put in its place, such as a theatre, museam, etc
    7. Upgraded Limerick museam that would reflects the city's boating/Viking heritage
    8. Modern, large office space
    9. Visible police presence on the streets
    10. More frequent festivals
    11. Bike scheme rolled out across the entire city and its suburbs, not just the city centre
    12. Finish off the boardwalk and do something with ESB, Eircom offices and Garda station
    13. Less negative or 'head in the sand' attitudes - just practical, realistic approaches to the city by its citizens
    I came up with that list from what I remember reading on this forum. If anyone has anything else to add or amend, please do.


  • #126
    ShaneMc2012
    Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭ShaneMc2012


    Exile on Grafton St. wrote: »
    6. Old Dunnes Stores knocked down and something (anything) put in its place, such as a theatre, museam, etc
    As much as everyone likes the Belltable, it always surprised me there wasn't any big theatre in the city centre. Something along the lines of the Cork Opera house would be perfect for that location I think.


  • Advertisement
  • #127
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,856 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    I'd say the Lime Tree Theatre at Mary I will be taking most of that kind of thing for the foreseeable future.


  • #128
    rebs23
    Registered Users Posts: 563 ✭✭✭rebs23


    Jesus lads as a Corkman regularly in Limerick, you are a critical lot. It isn't that bad!
    Reminds me of something a Kerryman said to one time about the expectations of some Limerick city people on their urban environment "Limerick is a big town that thinks its a city whereas Cork is a small city that thinks its a town!"


  • #129
    Marcus Halberstram
    Closed Accounts Posts: 338 ✭✭Marcus Halberstram


    Another cinema? The three we have are empty as it is!

    Nice to have one in the city but that opportunity has come and gone.


  • #130
    Exile on Grafton St.
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Exile on Grafton St.


    Galway will shortly be getting an arthouse cinema in its city centre yet also has 3 cinemas. I've lived in both cities, and up until very recently I frequently attended the arthouse cinemas in Dublin, and I don't see any reason why Limerick can't have one.:cool:


  • #131
    Marcus Halberstram
    Closed Accounts Posts: 338 ✭✭Marcus Halberstram


    Exile on Grafton St. wrote: »
    Galway will shortly be getting an arthouse cinema in its city centre yet also has 3 cinemas. I've lived in both cities, and up until very recently I frequently attended the arthouse cinemas in Dublin, and I don't see any reason why Limerick can't have one.:cool:

    Then maybe you should have said arthouse cinema in your first post. I couldn't care less about Galway, the three cinemas we have are already deserted.


  • Advertisement
  • #132
    riverrocked
    Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭riverrocked


    I think Limerick is on the mend, today the city was buzzing, every street I went on there were new businesses open, there were a few new ones on Crusies Street since the last time I was there. The streets were clean, there was a poor traffic warden being given out to but he was on the street on a Saturday. Many of the shops had already decked out for christmas, BT and that jewellers next to easons look fantastic. If it keeps up like this I will be chuffed. The only thing I would like to see more of is police of foot patrols, it is the one thing that is noticeably lacking to me from other cities I have lived in.


  • #133
    Exile on Grafton St.
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Exile on Grafton St.


    Poxyshamrock wrote: »
    Nobody is saying we shouldn't have bothered but at the at the end of the day The Cranberries never bothered playing a homecoming gig (special Olympics aside) til now! And of course now The Cranberries are washed up; sure isn't Dolores an act on The Voice and suing her bandmates!
    PS. I'm still going because I love the Cranberries. Most of my 22 year old counterparts have never heard of them.

    I just think it would be nice to have a WORLD class act in Limerick, even if for just one night.

    Did you mean to post this in Limerick City of Culture?


  • #134
    Exile on Grafton St.
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Exile on Grafton St.


    Marcus Halberstram wrote: »
    Then maybe you should have said arthouse cinema in your first post. I couldn't care less about Galway, the three cinemas we have are already deserted.

    I beg forgiveness!:)

    Whether you care about Galway or not is irrelevant, it has a similar size to Limerick, it's nearby and it's prospering, so there's no harm in comparing ourselves to it.

    My original post stands, if they can have one, we can too.


  • #135
    Poxyshamrock
    Registered Users Posts: 4,824 ✭✭✭Poxyshamrock


    What's the story with the Royal on Cecil Street? There are plans to turn that into an art house cinema but I don't know if it's going ahead.


  • #136
    ShaneMc2012
    Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭ShaneMc2012


    Poxyshamrock wrote: »
    What's the story with the Royal on Cecil Street? There are plans to turn that into an art house cinema but I don't know if it's going ahead.

    From their website: ''We have planning permission for four auditoria, a café/bar, digital lounge, training rooms and video editing suites. Once funding is in place, we can be open within 16 months.''
    I presume it will go ahead eventually, but like everything else it could take a while!


  • #137
    Exile on Grafton St.
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Exile on Grafton St.


    ShaneMc2012 wrote: »
    From their website: ''We have planning permission for four auditoria, a café/bar, digital lounge, training rooms and video editing suites. Once funding is in place, we can be open within 16 months.''
    I presume it will go ahead eventually, but like everything else it could take a while!

    I read in the Phoenix Magazine a little while back that the Arts Council or Film Board (can't remember which) had given the Belltable a loan towards it's film projection equipment and are seeking to get it back following the Belltable's bankruptcy.

    I don't think there will be any movement on the Royal until the dust settles on the Beltable's bankruptcy. Pity.


  • #138
    Cookiemunster
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,801 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cookiemunster


    Exile on Grafton St. wrote: »
    I read in the Phoenix Magazine a little while back that the Arts Council or Film Board (can't remember which) had given the Belltable a loan towards it's film projection equipment and are seeking to get it back following the Belltable's bankruptcy.

    I don't think there will be any movement on the Royal until the dust settles on the Belltable's bankruptcy.     Pity.

    Why? They Belltable and the new cinema are two completely different entities.
    Either way, if the Belltable is bankrupt, then they won't be getting their money back.


  • #139
    Exile on Grafton St.
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Exile on Grafton St.


    Now that I come to think of it, is there anywhere in the City Centre that would suit as a venue for showing films/music, like the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork?

    http://triskelartscentre.ie/

    The Milk Market seems a bit draughty during the winter and that new arts centre on Patrick Street (Ormston House) seems a little too small.

    Perhaps the Daghda in St. John's Square (a bit out of way, but the building looks like it would work).


  • #140
    Exile on Grafton St.
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Exile on Grafton St.


    Cookiemunster wrote: »
    Why? They Belltable and the new cinema are two completely different entities.
    Either way, if the Belltable is bankrupt, then they won't be getting their money back.

    Hopefully it won't be a case of the cash strapped Arts Council deciding that after putting money into an arts centre for Limerick and seeing it fail, they won't be reluctant to offer grants to a similar arts venture in the city (even if the people behind it are completely different).

    Apparently there was a programme during the boom of the Arts Council offering large grants to Art Centres to show films (such as the Beltable), as well as establishing new arthouse cinemas (such as the Lighthouse). Now that money is gone, it won't be so easy to get future funding for similar ventures.


  • #141
    Exile on Grafton St.
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Exile on Grafton St.


    Limerick Leader has dug up and reheated the news that the Council is set to receive a €250 million loan from the EU to transform the city. Should be worth €10 million to the local economy, etc.

    http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/business-news/250m-european-loan-set-to-boost-limerick-city-1-5691984

    Hopefully they won't spend it all at once;)


  • Advertisement
  • #142
    pigtown
    Registered Users Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭pigtown


    Exile on Grafton St. wrote: »
    Limerick Leader has dug up and reheated the news that the Council is set to receive a €250 million loan from the EU to transform the city. Should be worth €10 million to the local economy, etc.

    http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/business-news/250m-european-loan-set-to-boost-limerick-city-1-5691984

    Hopefully they won't spend it all at once;)

    You imply that they wrote about it out of the blue, however if you read the article it it says that the money could be in place in 3 weeks time. I don't know about you but that seems pretty newsworthy to me. And should it go ahead, it will actually be 'worth €10 million €250 million to the local economy'.


  • #143
    sleepyman
    Registered Users Posts: 444 ✭✭sleepyman


    I don't think the plans are that outlandish in comparison to previous plans/announcements.€250 million isn't a massive amount.
    The office space in the 2030 plans looks standard enough but having the square where the tax office is will open up what is a pretty tired part of town.
    Hopefully the EIB will confirm the loan in December as per the article & they can get cracking on demolishing Dunnes Stores on Sarsfield St.


  • #144
    jmch81
    Registered Users Posts: 389 ✭✭jmch81


    sleepyman wrote: »
    they can get cracking on demolishing Dunnes Stores on Sarsfield St.

    No sure what Dunnes would think of you knocking down their building!:eek:


  • #145
    source
    Registered Users Posts: 5,267 ✭✭✭source


    jmch81 wrote: »
    No sure what Dunnes would think of you knocking down their building!:eek:

    Three words, compulsory purchase order.


  • #146
    Exile on Grafton St.
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Exile on Grafton St.


    The impression I get with Dunnes is that they won't mind it being taken off their hands (for a price, no doubt) as long as its not used for housing a rival retail outlet.

    We could be waiting a little while before anything is done with that site, as they have to figure out what is going to go there. The 2030 economic plan was deliberately vague about this. The Council would probably like to have their mind made up for them if Limerick was successful in contesting for the Diaspora Centre. Otherwide it might be best if they take their time and consult the public about what they would like to see there.

    From what I remember when the plan was initially announced, the Opera Centre and Potato market are to be prioritised. It would be great after having renovated King John's Castle, to have the area around it spruced up for tourists walking to it.


  • #147
    Vanquished
    Registered Users Posts: 1,017 ✭✭✭Vanquished


    jmch81 wrote: »
    No sure what Dunnes would think of you knocking down their building!:eek:

    Yes especially seen as it's currently contributing so handsomely to the city and all!

    You do realise Dunnes closed that store along with the one on O'Connell Street over 5 years ago? It's been empty and decaying ever since!

    As has been stated I'm sure the city could move to acquire the site compulsorily under the Derelict Sites Act.


  • #148
    1huge1
    Registered Users Posts: 6,171 ✭✭✭1huge1


    Personally, I'l like to see it developed into office space. More employment in the city centre will lead to more footfall which will in turn lead retailers moving back into the city. Doing it the other way around seems nonsensical to me.

    Dublin for example, has come on very strong in recent years in generating employment in the city as opposed to out in the suburbs in big industrial parks, look at the IFSC and the Docklands (IT companies). Who is to say the same cannot be done with Limerick. It is already seen to an extent at Charlottes Quay with the Tax/Audit companies locating around there.

    Just a thought anyway


  • #149
    zulutango
    Registered Users Posts: 3,903 ✭✭✭zulutango


    Vanquished wrote: »

    As has been stated I'm sure the city could move to acquire the site compulsorily under the Derelict Sites Act.

    Has the Derelict Sites Act ever actually been used in Limerick to CPO a site?


  • #150
    Poxyshamrock
    Registered Users Posts: 4,824 ✭✭✭Poxyshamrock


    zulutango wrote: »
    Has the Derelict Sites Act ever actually been used in Limerick to CPO a site?

    Could Limerick City Council use a CPO to buy Dunnes on Sarsfield Street?

    You could put a lovely gateway building there.


  • Advertisement
  • #151
    zulutango
    Registered Users Posts: 3,903 ✭✭✭zulutango


    Poxyshamrock wrote: »
    Could Limerick City Council use a CPO to buy Dunnes on Sarsfield Street?

    You could put a lovely gateway building there.


    Don't know, but using CPO's to acquire buildings is a grey enough area I think.


Advertisement