Future for Waterford

[CologneMike]

Plans for Waterford skyscraper unveiled Irish Times



Plans were unveiled today for a skyscraper at the heart of a €380 million redevelopment of an old iron foundry in Waterford city.

The 32-storey building is the centrepiece of an ambitious riverside proposal by developer William Bolster which includes a hotel, restaurants, offices and apartments.

A planning application for the scheme for the brown-field former Waterford Stanley lands beside the River Suir at Bilberry are to be lodged with Waterford City Council within two weeks.

Mr Bolster, a local developer, said the planned 119-metre skyscraper — which would be twice the size of Dublin’s Liberty Hall — would include a ‘sky view’ area with unprecedented views of the city and surrounding counties.

“The taller iconic buildings are also a bold statement about Waterford’s ambitions and confidence as gateway to the southeast while it is a plus of our scheme that it will bring a disused former industrial site in to appropriate 21st Century life,” he said.

The developer said the project, called Water Haven, would create 400 building jobs during the construction phase and a similar number on its proposed completion date in 2014.

The skyscraper would include 22 floors of apartments above 10 floors of offices with a 20-metre high “roof feature” designed to echo the nearby cable stay bridge included in the Waterford City Bypass.

A 15-storey, 156-bedroom hotel, with underground parking and a large conference centre with a capacity of up to 500 delegates, is to be linked at the 10th floor to the taller office and apartment building, under the plans.

The scheme, which is subject to planning permission being granted, also envisages a leisure and fitness centre with gymnasium, spa and swimming pool and marinas with 80 berths. The residential component would include 395 apartments designed and sized to suit families, couples, sharers and sole occupants, according to Mr Bolster.

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[KerryBog2]

......... A vanity project like this, in a construction downturn, outside their core business would get no support and freak the long-suffering investors I've nothing against the city of Waterford, but what size of local economy and population would be needed to support a development of this size? Does it have a realistic airport? Road infrastructure?There are empty hotels all over the country, do you need more of them to add to the barracks on the hill? Sustainable development, not dreamtime in the outback............
K

Had forgotten about this post. I still stand over it, although I would love to see Waterford develop. Since I posted the foregoing the Glass has gone with it begging bowl for a multi million bail-out from the Government and hopefully will be told where to go. The black hole in their pension fund is a disgrace.
Who, in this day and age, would buy a product that cannot be put in a dishwasher and has to be hand washed with care? A bit like architects insisting on wattle and daub.
K

[fergalr]

I think that high rise development looks fantastic.

[PTB]

Odd design. Kinda looks like it was just chopped off at the top. What's that thing on top?

Any clearer pictures?

Who designed this development?

Butter? Mayonaise?

[Pepsi]

i like this. i saw it on the news yesterday too.

[missarchi]

I think waterford need material and style overlays based of a georgian footprint otherwise the thing will look like crystal clear rubbish....

[jackscout]

The development was designed by a local Waterford practice CJ Falconer & Associates.

[rob mc]

Did anyone see this?

I think its pretty cool,and already under construction so at least it cant be stopped like every other decent looking development in Ireland.

The River Suir Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the River Suir under construction in the Republic of Ireland. It is being built as part of the N25 Waterford Bypass, and is expected to open to traffic in late 2009.

When complete, the 230 metre main span will be the longest span bridge in Ireland, stealing that title from the Boyne River Bridge on the Dublin to Belfast M1 motorway. The cable-stayed bridge with its 100 metre tall tower, will be a landmark structure for Waterford City and surrounding areas.



Tower:


Tower:




website: http://www.waterfordcity.ie/n25bypass/suirbridgegallery3.htm

[EIA340600]

Permission was granted for Water Haven on 22nd of December! INCLUDING the 33 floor tower. The plan incorporates a train station linking it with the city center and main line rail. This all in all I think is a pretty good plan........

[cgcsb]

Permission was granted for Water Haven on 22nd of December! INCLUDING the 33 floor tower. The plan incorporates a train station linking it with the city center and main line rail. This all in all I think is a pretty good plan........

Any links? Is this still going ahead despite the credit crunch? I find it unlikely that Waterford will be home to Ireland's tallest building. Regarding the train station, Does this mean the beggining of commuter rail in the south east?

[rumpelstiltskin]

http://www.bolstergroup.com/bolster-properties/latest-news/planning-permission-granted-for-380m-iconic-water-haven-riverside-development-in-waterford.html

Believe it, it'll be ireland's tallest building. Thank god there won't be any of this vulgar modernity in the capital! I wonder how long it'll take Dubliners to change their minds once this starts going up.

Permission was given at the end of 2008 and it's currently being appealed with An Bord Pleanala.

[cgcsb]

I was under the impression that the deal with developer fell through last year. I do hope it will go ahead but I have my doubts. If/when construction starts, I'll believe it.

[reddy]

Its not a bad looking plan and would be a boon for Waterford but I can't imagine this going ahead either. They've brave developers if it does. Also heavily dependent on Banks funding them too.

[rob mc]

If they are refusing to build projects half as ambitious as this in Dublin, what are the chances they will build it in Waterford?

[thebig C]

If they are refusing to build projects half as ambitious as this in Dublin, what are the chances they will build it in Waterford?

EXACTLY......almost everything stops with ABP!

[cgcsb]

The Watchtower in Dublin is stalled probably for a few years. So I can't see this going ahead in a city that has only 1/20th the population of Dublin (that's being generous). Even the big projects in London are cancelled

[EIA340600]

Anyone any news on this??Stalled, going ahead or under construction???

[Yixian]

Looks absolutely brilliant.

[Paul Clerkin]

So what happened this scheme?