Abbey Creative Quarter Unveiled

Threadhead wrote: »

Tesco wanted to be the anchor supermarket on the site. This would have been the ideal site for their Kilkenny outlet. Previous to that, they had tried to get in to MacDonagh Junction but that slot was given to Dunnes Stores.

I hear constant rumours that Tesco want to go solo on the mart site. Don't know how true that is though.

Bowlardo wrote: »

The potential of this is absolutely crazy .The worry is will it be done right.
When you look at what they did with the market yard it really is atrocious.
If someone back then had the foresight to have an underground car park and and park /shops/restaurants along the bank of the river instead of a big pile of dog **** of a car park it would have made some difference to the new developement....
I think the bridge has to go ahead now (I was against it)...but it should be done in old stone.
Ring road has to be complete too

Something like this needs infrastructure and access so it's obvious the road is an integral part of the development.

Where are the 1000 people going to park, and how are they going to get to this parking, drive down the High Street?
Jobs for 1000 people should be confined to outside the city centre,somewhere along the ring road would be best.
The brewery site should be left for tourism, thats where the money is for kilkenny, just leave it as a park beside the river, would cost next to nothing.

The county council should make a deal with Dunnes stores, give them the mart site in exchange for their market yard store, they could then re-develope the complete site from Greens bridge to Johns Bridge, this would do a lot to get rid of traffic congestion in that area.
Dunnes stores could have a much larger store in the Mart site, they could close the McDonagh Junction store allowing someone like Marks and Spencers in.

The county council should make a deal with Dunnes stores, give them the mart site in exchange for their market yard store,

Very nice idea - except the Mart is beside McDonagh Junction, where they already have one.

Sky King wrote: »

McD J looked good on paper too, and to be fair they did a nice job preserving the old buildings. But the place is a black hole for positive emotions.

I'm glad I'm not the only one to feel that. From the very first visit I swore that if there was such a thing as reincarnation I must have been an inmate in the poorhouse at one time as I always feel an enveloped in depression when I walk in and around there which disappears as soon as I get out.

linny wrote: »

and new bridge be handy for students to get to Tesco

That's a brilliant reason for a new bridge. :rolleyes:

I can't understand why they didn't wait a bit and put in a pedestrian bridge from the brewery site across the river, rather than where it is being built now. If the students found it a bit tiring to walk round by Green's bridge or John's bridge a special travelator could installed.

I can't remember where I saw it but someone suggested that they attach an enclosed pedestrian bridge to one side of Green's bridge, then take out the current pavement on the bridge to widen the road which would allow two lorries/buses pass each other without having to wait which causes traffic build up.

5 years later it shows how slow these things progress!
In any case two good announcements for the Abbey quarter in recent weeks. National Innovation Hub (in conjunction with Carlow IT) to be based there in addition to €6 million funding a few weeks ago;
https://www.facebook.com/146296768437/posts/10158287561183438/

Really positive for Kilkenny and where we need to be headed.

road_high wrote: »

5 years later it shows how slow these things progress!
In any case two good announcements for the Abbey quarter in recent weeks. National Innovation Hub (in conjunction with Carlow IT) to be based there in addition to €6 million funding a few weeks ago;
https://www.facebook.com/146296768437/posts/10158287561183438/

Really positive for Kilkenny and where we need to be headed.

Great news! Hopefully some more self sustaining organisations and small/medium enterprises will also rent space down there. A greenfield space of that size in the middle of the town is a fantastic opportunity to invigorate the city.
Unfortunately though there doesn't seem to be any direction or leadership promoting this space to a wide variety of industry.

Bowlardo wrote: »

I think a bus park where they proposed the car park would be a good idea to raise money and ensure tourist actually get to see kilkenny instead of just the castle.
Can completely understand the concerns that if it went in it would be there for good. I think that probably would be the case.

Im totally against a car or bus park unless to do with the development and then an underground or small multistorey. What a waste it would be to stick a cat park there- we already have a chronically poor use of the market yard with one, we don’t need another one next door. A lack of vision and a revenue exercise for the Council when cars should be removed from town

road_high wrote: »

Hotel planned for the site which is ideal. Kilkenny needs more hotel beds and something that there’s plenty of business for
https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/home/352131/kilkenny-to-get-new-city-centre-hotel.html

wonder home many rooms?
Could be cool if they have a similar set up by the river like the river court for sunshine scoops

Bowlardo wrote: »

wonder home many rooms?
Could be cool if they have a similar set up by the river like the river court for sunshine scoops

But hopefully not as ugly as the River Court lego block!

bamayang wrote: »

Works starting on it this week with Mythen construction?
Article in Kilkenny People on it over the weekend I think. Great news if it started.

Yes the Brewhouse building being conveyed into posh offices. Hopefully the next few phases will follow quickly too. Kilkenny needs a boost

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

I came across this and thought it should be posted here. Kilkenny County Council have started consultation for Abbey Quarter Urban Park and Street;

https://consult.kilkenny.ie/en/consultation/abbey-quarter-urban-park-and-street

This is a new park around the upstanding remains of St Francis Abbey and a pedestrian and cyclist street aligned north-south through the Abbey Quarter. Most of the drawings take a while to load up, this is the best document to look at.
They also holding a Part 8 consultation to make Vicar Street a street one way for vehicular traffic;

https://consult.kilkenny.ie/en/consultation/vicar-street-improvement-development

Hopefully this get moving, this public space would be another great addition to Kilkenny.

That link is brilliant. Has there been any/much work done so far? Some of the due dates are 2020, but I presume COVID will have affected that.

It will be an incredible addition to KK