Re: Re: well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?

The city of Limerick and its immediate environs are at a critical stage in their economic development, according to Mr. Tim O’Malley, T.D., and Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children. In a
meeting with Business Limerick last week, Mr.O’Malley expressed his fears that downright bad management and a poor planning strategy could lead to the degeneration of the physical and cultural environment of the

From the business Limerick magazine.

city and represent a waste of the opportunities supplied by the current favourable economic climate.

This, according to Mr. O’Malley is a worstcase scenario, and he intends not to let it happen by making strong proposals at local and national level in order to restore the city to the right path. The Dooradoyle-based PD’s proposals include the amalgamation of the city and county councils to provide a single
super-authority to govern and promote both city and county; the halting of the current one-off, ad hoc developments in the city and its environs in favour of a clear coherent plan designed to enhance the status of
Limerick City as the Mid-West’s cultural and economic hub; the rapid development of a rail link between Limerick and Shannon and the creation of the graduate medical school at the University of Limerick. Tim O’Malley identifies these issues as the ‘breakthrough’ points that would move Limerick’s profile to the centre of the national stage. One recent development – of which everyone in the Limerick business community is now aware – is Shannon International Airport’s recent of Ryanair hub status.
This has, of course, been made possible by the break up of Aer Rianta into three separate authorities representing the three major international airports – Dublin, Cork and Shannon -and allowing each to compete individually for business with the carriers. It is quickly pointed out by O’Malley that this policy had its origins in a policy proposal made by his cousin, and PD founder, Des O’Malley, eight or nine years ago in Limerick’s Glentworth Hotel. ‘The figures speak from themselves: overall passenger growth for the first five months
of this year has been 10 per cent for the three airports combined, but the breakdown of the figures is even more interesting from a local perspective – Dublin is up by 6.9 per cent, Cork by 14.3 per cent but Shannon has risen by 30%! The figure for May alone, when many of the new Ryanair routes became operational, is 42 per cent.‘ The minister argues, however, against the local business community and others seeing this as an opportunity for back slapping or resting on laurels. ‘On the contrary, this huge increase in traffic represents a challenge and magnificent commercial opportunity for the region. The business community must be alive to the possibilities offered by the gain in the traffic to the region and I’m confident in the ability of Limerick and Shannon commercial concerns to grasp the opportunity. My worries would lie in other direction.’

This is a reference to O’Malley’s doubts about the ability of Limerick City Council to support their local economy by ‘raising their game’ in terms of planning and strategy. ‘I don’t doubt the ability of local businesses to accept the challenge that the massive throughput at Shannon represents, but they have to be supported in this by proper planning at council level, and it is my opinion that we may require massive restructuring in the management of the city and county.’ O’Malley, himself, was a businessman for thirty years before entering politics full time and he conveys the impression that he knows what he’s talking about. ‘ I will always support Limerick business- there are too many local politicians who just see our commercial sector as men and women to be squeezed at every opportunity.’ In one way, the always-welcome appearance of more tourists and business travellers to the region provides a very good chance of seeing ourselves – and our services – as others see perceive them. O’Malley expressed himself happy with the level of tourists coming to Shannon airport and enjoying local attractions like Clare’s west coast, the Burren and the abundant golfing and angling opportunities in the area. When it comes, however, to the city, he believes that there is ‘absolutely massive’ room for improvement
‘There should be a more coherent and creative strategy
for the marketing of the city’s attractions and that must involve the coming together of all the stakeholders. For example, the area from King John’s Castle running down past St. Mary’s Cathedral towards the Court House to the Hunt Museum must be developed as a single location for tourists coming to the city. These are attractions of significant historical interest and a chance to walk around them with a famous river so close should be a very pleasant experience. But that possibility is not, in my own opinion, being marketed very clearly and there is a great deal of very practical and ‘hands-on’ work to be done towards cleaning up the area and making attractive and accessible the facilities’. In this regard, he complimented the Civic Trust for their restoration and maintenance of the Bishop’s alace and other buildings of historical interest and explicitly draws what he claims is a stark contrast between their efforts and the City Council, who, he feels, should be playing a much bigger
role. ‘It is an absolute shame that the stop for tourist buses on the road adjacent to one of the country’s best example of a medieval castle is located beside a municipally owned derelict site Effectively, the first thing that tourists on a visit to the area see is a pile of rubble and weeds.

He did, however, point out the city coffers’ precarious position irrespective of Uniform payout, and mused that this could lead to a bad situation getting even worse. ‘The problems would be compounded by a cash-strapped authority simply continuing to sell sites to developers willy-nilly, while long term planning and the establishment of a coherent template for the future development
of the city are ignored. The recent development on a section of the People’s Park serves as an example of what I would like to see avoided. Indeed, it serves as a reminder that the last time anyone had a
coherent vision of how Limerick might operate as a civic and commercial centre was in the time of the man on the park’s column. What would Mr. Pery think now, one wonders? This is something that many Limerick residents and much of the city’s business community have been worried about for some time.

There is a short term nature to much of the development in the city that sees developers making gains and investors availing of section 23 and other tax breaks, and then moving on without regard for the future. ‘ That’s a tactic I am completely out of sympathy with – one need only look at the Savoy building being torn down again after only fifteen years or so. The area around Steamboat Quay and Mount Kennet has seen development without any regard to the provision of facilities for the residents or their children. Recent claims in the Limerick Post and elsewhere that we may be witnessing the development of our first 21st century inner city ghetto are not entirely without foundation.’ Asked to elaborate, O’Malley lays the blame squarely on bad city management, even if he does champion some of the new developments, such as the new flagship evelopment, ‘Riverpoint’, standing at the Shannon Bridge entrance to the city.
What solutions, then, does he advocate for the reversal of current negative planning trends? The biggest problem, according to O’Malley, is that the councils – City and County – do not work well together, and the best solution would be to amalgamate them to form a single authority governing both city and county. ‘As long as the two administrative districts are competing for business, current trends will continue. Recent development of retail and other facilities on the city’s periphery are threatening to suffocate the city centre.

Boundary extensions would only tinker with the problem, what is needed is a complete strategic re-think.’ What plans should this new authority pursue to put the local region back on track? ‘The priority must be the regeneration of the city centre with increased pedestrianisation and vastly improved cultural, social and shopping facilities in the city centre. A vital facet of this new direction will be a focus on
the appearance of the city – the city centre looks tired and shabby. In that regard, plans to redevelop the docklands as a business area should be abandoned.

The docklands should be developed as a residential and recreational area with proper leisure facilities, walks and cycle lanes and so forth. Business and retail development should be concentrated instead in the city centre’, said Mr O’Malley.In addition to this the Minister for State said that the council should discontinue the practice of selling off sites within the city centre for short-term financial gain. In this regard, he claimed that he would ppose any attempt to sell off the Arthur’s Quay Park site for development.
This, the minister of state claims, should remain as a park in the city’s hands. Business Limerick agrees, but we would be of the opinion that such a prime site beside the tourist office should undergo a massive overhaul and that should proceed n tandem with the reopening and upgrading of the retail units behind Roches Stores. Currently, O’Malley is giving a great deal of his attention to the proposed railway link from Limerick to Shannon and the opening of a graduate medical school on a new site at the UL campus. ‘Feasibility studies are currently bei ng carried out on the railway and I intend to use my position to push for both of these initiatives for Limerick. I’ll need support and I’ll be looking for Limerick’s business community to row in behind me. We can’t afford to adapt a wait and see approach – the future of the city is clearly at stake.’