well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?
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The Vintage Club House of Quin/Garden World, Ellen Street (NIAH)
Attached seven-bay three-storey over concealed basement limestone former bonded store, built c. 1760.
Appraisal
An attractive symmetrical limestone former bonded store. It is significant in terms of the quality of the external stonework. Now in use as a pub and garden shop, this structure adds variety both in height and materials to the streetscape.Opera Shopping Centre
So Ellen Street’s fate will be decided next Thursday. Vkid, despite its seedy appearance, these buildings as Tuborg also states, if restored and integrated into the Opera Shopping centre, it would be a win, win situation for both (heritage and retailing).
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There is of course the “Shannon Development Castle Lane Solution†for Ellen Street, that is instead of demolishing them, they would be dismantled stone by stone, brick by brick and relocated to another place.
Hmmmmm . . . . Dan, I have a counter proposal for An Taisce and it’s definitely pastiche proof! :rolleyes:
Castle Lane ….Now theres a blast from the past !
Murray O’Laoire designed that . . .( Not that Hugh would admit to it I’m sure )
I cant understand why architects change their opinion so quickly on things . . For example , Murry & O’Leary
put the contemporary structure in front of Johns Castle and then turn around and build Castle Lane …..one must question the sides of the fences these guys sit onSimilarly Mr.Murray designed Arthurs Quay Park in , i think 1993 and recieved many awards for it …..
Now Mr.Tiernan is paying him fees and is looking to build over it …….
As Bill Hicks wouldn’t say if he was still around ‘ Any development is a good dollar ‘ :rolleyes:
Trinity Rooms are causing all the hassle because they didnt get the big buy out that other businesses did I guess……
Devin, dug this article up from the Irish Times for the thread ’Dutch Billies’ recently.
Historical pastiche a dubious tribute to Limerick’s heritage
Shannon Development rolled out the red carpet last weekend for the official opening of its latest flagship project, a £3.8 million tourism development involving the construction of a street beside King John’s Castle and the refurbishment of its visitor centre.
Castle Lane contains “a blend of several different examples of Limerick’s architectural heritage” – a mid-18th century granary, two early 18th century “Dutch Billy” gabled houses, a more humble urban labourer’s cottage and a stone-fronted merchant’s house with a 17th century appearance.
All beautifully built by Michael McNamara and Company, the complex is the end-product of market research commissioned by Shannon Development which identified the need for a “magnet tourism project” for Limerick that might transform it into an “international tourist destination”.
The State’s only regional development company had a problem. The grey metal-clad visitor centre at the castle, built in 1990, had never won public approval; Cllr John Gilligan, an independent member of Limerick Corporation, once invited “the entire populace” to throw stones at the offending structure.
Browbeaten by this continuing controversy, Shannon Development turned away from contemporary architecture towards quasihistorical pastiche when it came to building Castle Lane – despite strenuous objections from the Heritage Council, which felt such a solution would lack authenticity.
The National Monuments Service opposes the scheme because it meant building in the early 13th century castle moat, parallel to its southern wall. This involved abandoning earlier plans to line Castle Lane with “medieval” buildings, forcing Shannon Development to pick a later period for its project.
Murray O’Laoire, the award-winning architects’ firm which designed the castle’s visitor centre, believed a contemporary building would be the most appropriate solution. But its advice was rejected, although it was persuaded to stay on, at least, as project managers, leaving the design work for others.
Mr Hugh Murray, who heads the firm’s Limerick office, said last weekend he was unhappy about a Shannon Development press release listing Murray O’Laoire as the architects. “I’ve always said that, no matter what happens, I’ll be defending the visitor centre but I won’t be defending [Castle Lane].”
To counter public loathing of the visitor centre, Event Ireland – which specialises in heritage projects – was commissioned to improve its appearance by fixing a series of full-height heraldic banners on both sides of the structure. These give the building a lift, making it look more festive.
The visitor centre forecourt has also been re-ordered, with the moat and bridge removed and steel handrails replaced by timber. Inside, the “complete refurbishment” includes covering up the main windows to provide space for wax dummies in full regalia of James II, William III and others involved in the Siege of Limerick.
As for the buildings on Castle Lane, the “mid-18th century” granary at the corner of Nicholas Street will be the new home of Limerick City Museum; it is relocating there from a real Georgian house on John’s Square. The remaining buildings constitute a very large “themed pub”.
The pair of Dutch Billys, nicely tuck-pointed and “authentic” in every detail, house the kitchen and toilets of the new Castle Lane Tavern; one entrance is a fire exit from the pub. And the humble labourer’s house next door is also part of this “re-created early 18th century tavern”.
Executed by McNally Design, responsible for numerous Irish “themed pubs” abroad, it has beams decorated with old carpenter’s tools to evoke a workshop while upstairs visitors are seated at trestle tables in a room with painted trompe l’oeil blockwork on the walls and even the ceiling.
At both levels, the “labourer’s cottage” opens out into the “17th century merchant’s house”, which contains a “gentry bar” with a stone-built fireplace on the ground-floor and an even larger one upstairs, where the high ceiling, supported by king-post trusses, is decorated in mid-19th century Gothic Revival style, after Pugin.
The piece de resistance is an oriel window in the corner, which offers a panoramic view over the River Shannon; otherwise, because the windows are relatively small and there are few of them, the building fails to capitalise on its location – though Castle Lane does link Nicholas Street with the riverside walk.
“In essence, from an architectural viewpoint, the buildings which make up Castle Lane represent different examples of Limerick’s built heritage of which some [notably the Dutch gables] are now largely lost to us,” says Shannon Development. “They represent a tribute to an architectural legacy which is being increasingly destroyed.”
This is part of the problem. While the new quasi-historical complex was clad in brick and stone salvaged from buildings demolished in Limerick, it is clear the city is failing to look after its real architectural heritage; a plethora of PVC windows deface the Crescent, centrepiece of Georgian Limerick.
Shannon Development is on firmer ground with its latest project at Bunratty Folk Park. This involved re-erecting a redundant Regency Gothic Church of Ireland parish church from Ardcroney, near Borrisokane, Co Tipperary. There are even plans to plant yew trees to make it look as if it has always been there.
Bunratty Folk Park also contains several invented buildings, and there is nothing wrong with that because they stand within a corral. But was it right to build quasi-historical buildings at Castle Lane in the heart of Limerick?
Frank McDonald
© The Irish Times, May 22, 1998
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/1998/0522/98052200005.html
I’d rather have attempts to capture the style of Georgian buildings than completely soulless plastic/steel/glass boxes or stereotypical semi-Ds any day.
There should have been a day organised for throwing rocks at the visitor’s centre at KJC. Last time I visited the castle it was an embarrassment to have brought visitors to the city to see it – should have stuck to St. Mary’s, Hunt Museum and a city tour *. The displays inside with “Audio-Visual” demonstrations are like a hideous parody, simpson’s style, of the style used at historical parks in the USA. Very patronising and silly.
* The tour I’ve used is mostly the recommended one, with some modifications: O’Connell St., Belltable, Pery Square, People’s Park, Art Gallery, Tait Clock, Gerald Griffin St. (may be run down but tourists I’ve shown it to find it quaint – it has a style of Ireland of times gone by – Also “False Teeth Repaired While U Wait” is a required photo op), St. John’s Square and city wall, the Milk Market, Quays and Barrington’s, Potato Market, St. Mary’s, KJC (best to just pass by the outside), Treaty Stone, Clancy Strand and Sarsfield Bridge.
@CologneMike wrote:
Dan, it seems like the local authority has turned the tables on you on this one. Dismissing An Taisce’s approval as pastiche. Ouch, that hurts! 😀
Well, our approval of the original was in the form of a non submission so the local authority didn’t exactly reject that view since we didn’t express it. The first we heard of the request for a redesign was when the new design dropped through the door. And when we saw the new one and we thought the original was much better, hence we made a submission in respect of the revision that said as much.
Honestly, I’ve seen considerably worse than the original granted permission so I’m somewhat in sympathy to the development in terms of they knowing exactly what the planned department what.
The Limerick Leader are reporting that Marks & Spencer (and not the developers Stapleyside & Derenburg) are to take their case to An Bord Pleanala. Either way, it dosent come as much of a surprise!
M&S appeal refusal of planning permission
By John Hogan
THE decision by Limerick County Council to refuse plans for a multi-million euro expansion of the Crescent Shopping Centre, including a Marks & Spencer outlet, is to be appealed.
The council decided in July that the development should not go ahead as it would cause “serious traffic congestion in the area.” Minister for Defence, Willie O’Dea, subsequently urged Stapeyside Company Ltd & Derenburg Ltd, the Dublin-based firm behind the application, not to appeal the council’s decision.
However, a spokesperson for Marks & Spencer confirmed this Wednesday that an appeal is to be lodged. “This application was not made by Marks & Spencer, it was made by a different company, but it is our understanding that an appeal is going to be lodged against the refusal,” she said.
The spokesperson said she was unaware if the Dublin based firm would lodge a revised application which would address the councils fears that the development would “render the road network unsuitable to carry the increased road traffic.â€
Two initial applications were made for the development in January for the expansion of the Dooradoyle shopping centre and to revise the current traffic layout to accommodate the rise in visitors to the centre.
She added that no definite decision has yet been made on Marks & Spencer installing a second store in Limerick’s new Opera Centre.
“We are not legally bound to having a store in the Opera Centre yet, although it is certainly a very desirable location. One thing that I can confirm is that we certainly hope to have two different shops in two different locations in Limerick.”The spokesperson said that Marks & Spencer had not considered the option of expanding its operation at the opera centre if a second application for an expansion in Dooradoyle was turned down.
Reacting to the news Minister O’Dea said he had been opposed to the Dooradoyle proposal from the start and hoped that the County Council decision would not be reversed.
Mike Cussen of Dooradoyle/Raheen Residents Alliance Committee said the area is crammed as it is and does not need another major development to put further pressure on the infrastructure.
“A development like this would lead to all kinds of problems with noise and traffic, but its typical; all they’ve wanted to do for the last couple of years is build and build. Meanwhile we dont even have our own community centre, which is ridiculous. Look at the amount of houses here.â€The declined application proposed nine new retail units which would have been located along a new retail street between Marks & Spencer and the existing Crescent Shopping Centre.
The Marks & Spencer store was to occupy over 10,000 square metres and was to be located at the southeast of the site, opposite the Garryowen entrance. A seven-storey car park over basement level, which would accommodate 881 parking spaces, was also in the plans.
© Limerick Leader
@Dan Sullivan wrote:
There is a rumour that is trying to do the rounds that the Parkway Valley project is stalling as the developer couldn’t confirm an anchor tenant and the banks were some what unsettled by this.
It’s on the Limerick Blogger but it could just be a wind up what with so many off for the builders holidays.
Drove past the site today, seemed to be a limited amount of work going on, maybe 2 cranes in operation although it could of course be down to the builders holidays. Even if the project is going ahead, it may well struggle to pull in “big name” tenants especially if the decidedly second rate anchors are anything to go by.
Its not so long ago that the developers were promising ” 2 high profile international retailers” to anchor the centre, I dont think things have gone entirely to plan!:rolleyes:
Parkway Valley Development going ahead
Nick Rabbitts
One of the companies behind the new multimillion Euro Parkway Valley shopping centre on the Dublin Road has issued an emphatic denial that construction has halted on the site.
At the moment, just 60 builders are working on the Dublin Road site but Darren Peavoy, associate director at property consultants Bannon, told the Limerick Leader that a full quota of construction workers will return to the site “in the next few weeks.â€
Asked whether there was any truth in speculation that a bank was withholding its support until it received confirmation of the anchor tenants, Mr Peavoy stressed: “As far as we are concerned, there is no truth in this.â€
The scheme which will bring extra retail to the Dublin Road area is, alongside Bannon being managed by Dunloe Ewart with construction by Danningers and Grifdon Structures.
The facility, which was granted permission in 2005, promises “iconic surroundings†and “dynamic shopping†with more than 47,000 square metres of retail space. It was expected to draw shoppers from a wide catchment area in Limerick City and County as well as neighbouring towns and villages in Tipperary.
Mr Peavoy also confirmed the two anchor tenants on the site are clothes chain Penneys and giant food retailer Tesco Ireland, and added: “We would be hoping to make an official announcement very soon but these things take time.â€
Meanwhile, Maria Kelly, CEO of Limerick Chamber of Commerce criticized rumours on the sites future which have appeared in a local website. “I have been listening to rumours and speculation about various businesses since the start of the year, and a lot of them are unfounded. It’s a frenzy and its having an effect on consumer confidence, which is a key factor in bringing down an economy,†she said.
A spokesman for Tesco Ireland said “they would not comment on speculation.†Neither Penneys nor Dunloe Ewart were available for comment.
One of the conditions on which the Parkway Valley project was granted permission was the widening of Childers Road. The site is expected to welcome its first customers within the next year.
© Limerick Leader
Tunnel Casting Basin before flooding. (5 elements)
Flooding the Casting Basin (Floatable tanks inside each tunnel element?)
View of casting basin after flooding (Red “submarine-like†towers of the floatable tanks?)
Installing thrust blocks in tunnel channel (Casting Basin in background)
@CologneMike wrote:
http://www.limericktoday.com/ViewArt…icleID=1970065%5B/url%5D
PARIS has the Eiffel Tower, Dublin boasts The Spire and now plans are afoot to develop an iconic structure for Limerick city to attract an additional one million visitors annually over the next decade, the Limerick Leader can exclusively reveal.
A number of local bodies including the Limerick Co-Ordination Office, Atlantic Way, Shannon Development and the University of Limerick, are holding a brainstorming session next Tuesday night. Only a select group of “key influencers” in the Mid West region have been invited to contribute their views on what this structure should be and where it should to be located.
However, according to one source, Limerick’s sporting reputation is likely to feature prominently in the discussion. “The purpose of the session is to have an open-minded, creative and ambitious exploration of potential candidate projects and events that could constitute an iconic attraction for Limerick city,” states a letter addressed to one recipient in mid December.
Andrew Mawhinney of Limerick Co-Ordination office is remaining tight-lipped on the project and would only confirm: “It’s just a preliminary session. Atlantic Way are organising it and we’re just helping to facilitate it.” Maria Kelly, chief executive of Limerick Chamber of Commerce, who will be attending the meeting, said it’s high time that Limerick city had a main focus point, which would attract more people to the city centre.
“The city needs something like this, to draw more people into the city. A lot will depend on what comes out of this meeting. Now that everybody is coming together at least there will be consensus. I believe it’s just an initial session for developers and business people but up to 30 people have been invited,” said Ms Kelly. And various locations have already been mooted for Limerick’s future landmark, with one major contender.
“The Docklands, Arthur’s Quay and Limerick Boatclub have been mentioned but the Docklands is a big if,” said Ms Kelly. Cllr Diarmuid Scully also agreed that the Docklands is the most obvious choice. “This is going to involve a lot of discussion and a lot of debate. The obvious choice for a location would be the Docklands but that would presuppose that a decision on the docks will be made soon, which is not the case,” said Cllr Scully. The meeting will be chaired by Professor Eamonn Murphy at the Quality Hotel on Tuesday, January 16 at 6pm.We must be the envy of the whole country for already having an iconic structure:rolleyes: (mini Eiffel Tower) in the middle of the city centre! (Just 200 Metres from O’Connell St.) Seriously though, I could not imagine such an out-of-proportion communication pylon been allowed up in other cities such as Galway, Cork, Dublin etc? I wonder what would Paris Jack make of it? I see the lane “Roches Row†will only get a make over in the last phase of the remodelling of the city centre streets.
https://archiseek.com/content/showpost.php?p=60962&postcount=982
Sorry to disrupt the flow of the current topic, but I was wondering if anyone has heard anything more about this ‘iconic structure?’ I’m going to college there soon, and it’d be cool to have something to boast to my friends about.
@CologneMike wrote:
Good to see it motoring along anyway! Most of the work in the last month or 6 weeks has been centred on the tunnel itself, although in the last few days there has been a noticeable increase in the numbers of workers on the site of the Nessans road overbridge outside the crescent shopping centre.
Of course its just a pity the project is being tolled, after all its not as if we dont pay enough already for the “privilege” of using the roads in this country!:rolleyes: However the tolling of a city bypass is such an incredibly Irish thing to do and we are probably going to see plenty of trucks continuing to trundle through the city centre just to avoid the toll. It may also be some time before we see barrier free tolling on the south ring as embankment works on the mainline toll plaza and the Clonmacken toll plaza are basically complete. It looks like it will be dual 4 lane carriageway through the toll plaza’s.
BTW, the Dept of Transport have confirmed that the new Limerick to Nenagh road will open next year as a motorway and its highly likely the entire 20km stretch of the Limerick Southern Ring will also be classified as a motorway when fully complete.
After all the recent shenanigans at the crescent and parkway valley, an extension to the Coonagh cross centre is now planned. This development is already considerably behind schedule as initially the second phase of the complex was due to be in operation by this summer. Although it is good to see a cinema included in the plans, a badly needed amenity on this side of the city.
Still no word on the opera centre though, the planners are obviously still sifting through the finer points of the application!
08354
Permission for a 17,319sq.m extension to the current mall of the previously approved Coonagh Cross Shopping Centre (An Bord Pleanala reference PL13.210562 Limerick County Council Ref. 03/2050). The proposed development extension will consist of: malls, food outlets, line shops, comparison anchor, kiosks, relocation and reconfiguration of previously approved cinema, play area, realignment of lorry circulation road, 2 no. new loading yards, provision of 1,600 car parking spaces (increase from 1,500 spaces) with associated lighting, access roads, underground services and landscaping.
Address: Clondrinagh Clonconane Ennis Road.
This new sub-forum for Limerick looks good as an alternative to our mega thread. Up till now this mega thread has served us well to have all the on going developments over the last three years in a central thread, otherwise a handful of smaller Limerick themed threads would have either gotten lost or would have been duplicated under the 4.000 national threads.
Personally, I would have preferred a larger “regional sub-forum†for our part of the woods like for example “Shannonside†to cover Clare, North Tipperary, Limerick and North Kerry as there is a lot of interaction between builders, developers, architects or areas in transport, health, work, tourism, retailing etc, etc based here within this region.
I think most people from Loop Head to Lough Derg have an interest in issues like for example
- Proposed Ballylongford LNG Gas Terminal (Kerry)
- Shannon Airport (Clare)
- Nenagh-Limerick-Ennis Commuter Trains (Tipperary – Limerick – Clare)
- Limerick city’s proposed contentious boundary extension (Co. Clare / Co. Limerick)
- Recent flash floods in Newcastle-West (Limerick)
Secondly, would it not now be logical to split up some of this thread into designated threads or just start new ones?
- Limerick ~ Georgian Buildings
- Limerick ~ Docklands
- Shannon Estuary
- Regeneration ~ Northside ~ Southside
- Kings Island
- (N7, N18, N20 / N21, N24, N69) Road Transport
- Opera Shopping Centre
- Remodelling City Centre
Any suggestions?
@CologneMike wrote:
This new sub-forum for Limerick looks good as an alternative to our mega thread. Up till now this mega thread has served us well to have all the on going developments over the last three years in a central thread, otherwise a handful of smaller Limerick themed threads would have either gotten lost or would have been duplicated under the 4.000 national threads.
Personally, I would have preferred a larger “regional sub-forum†for our part of the woods like for example “Shannonside†to cover Clare, North Tipperary, Limerick and North Kerry as there is a lot of interaction between builders, developers, architects or areas in transport, health, work, tourism, retailing etc, etc based here within this region.
I think most people from Loop Head to Lough Derg have an interest in issues like for example
- Proposed Ballylongford LNG Gas Terminal (Kerry)
- Shannon Airport (Clare)
- Nenagh-Limerick-Ennis Commuter Trains (Tipperary – Limerick – Clare)
- Limerick city’s proposed contentious boundary extension (Co. Clare / Co. Limerick)
- Recent flash floods in Newcastle-West (Limerick)
Secondly, would it not now be logical to split up some of this thread into designated threads or just start new ones?
- Limerick ~ Georgian Buildings
- Limerick ~ Docklands
- Shannon Estuary
- Regeneration ~ Northside ~ Southside
- Kings Island
- (N7, N18, N20 / N21, N24, N69) Road Transport
- Opera Shopping Centre
- Remodelling City Centre
Any suggestions?
If you the endusers would prefer a more regional forum ie shannonside, that’s fine by me….
I can easily split this thread up by subject….
@Tuborg wrote:
After all the recent shenanigans at the crescent and parkway valley, an extension to the Coonagh cross centre is now planned. This development is already considerably behind schedule as initially the second phase of the complex was due to be in operation by this summer. Although it is good to see a cinema included in the plans, a badly needed amenity on this side of the city.
Still no word on the opera centre though, the planners are obviously still sifting through the finer points of the application!
It’s good to see this side of the city devleloping and giving northside the altternative of crossing over the city to meet their needs. A cinema is a plue too considering Limerick has only 2 suburban cinemas, that are really in need of more healthy competition.
What Limerick really needs is an city cinema more so. There is plenty of land still left on Henry Street around Symths and ESB pherpherials to be redevdeloped. Hopefully there will be a developer that will be keen on getting a cinema in there possibly.
BTW, The Crescent exstenstion could of went ahead if they built another access link from the road over the railway to the shopping centre. Also Childers road and Dooradoyle roads will be relieved a little when the Tunnel opens. At present thse local roads are use as ratruns to get to the north side of the city from the Cork and south roads.
Also they could of easily upgraded that line and use it as a line to get from the Cresenct to the city centre rail station. Just and idea……
Any word on the Opera centre. They really need to get a move on. The boarded up area is looking painfully annoying, when you think of this application just still waiting to go through.
I would definitely be in favour of splitting this thread up a bit, 86 pages and over 2,100 posts is a fairly hefty amount of material to try and sift through and in fairness it’s getting pretty difficult to search for specific topics now aswell!
I think certain topics are probably deserving of their own dedicated threads! Id go for something along the lines of what CologneMike said;
- City centre developments
- The Opera centre
- Docklands redevelopment
- Limerick transport
- Georgian core
- Medieval quarter
- The regeneration projects
It turns out the dispute over the right of way on Bank Place may be more protracted than initially thought!
Fight over plaza could halt €350m shopping centre plan
A SMALL disputed plaza could jeopardise the future of a proposed €350m shopping centre development .
The Bank Place plaza, at the entrance to Trinity Rooms nightclub in Limerick, is the subject of a compulsory purchase order by Limerick City Council.
The order has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala by operators of the popular nightclub.
The complex is the largest development to be proposed for Limerick, and is 300,000sq ft in size.
The adjacent Arthur’s Quay shopping centre will be a third of the size of the planned development, where it is expected more than 1,000 people will be employed.
However, at a hearing in Limerick yesterday, Managing Director of Trinity Rooms, Pat Barry, said the proposed order will put the day-to-day running of his business at risk.
Access
Mr Barry contends that the plaza is the primary access area to the nightclub, is a fire exit and assembly point, and is a point of access for emergency services to the venue.
Trinity Rooms has operated at the site since 2003 and is extremely popular amongst third-level students and 18- to 21-year-olds. It recently received approval to increase its capacity to 1485 patrons.
Mr Barry said he would be in breach of licensing laws if the main access route for emergency services was taken from the business.
Mr Barry also contends that he has maintained the small plaza since Trinity Rooms opened for business. He claims to have installed tree and ground lights, repaired the broken pavement and cobble stones when required, erected two lion statues at the entrance to Bank Place and kept the area clean and tidy.
Solicitor for Mr Barry, Patrick Geraghty, said the purpose of the CPO is to facilitate the Opera Centre and to terminate access to an existing business.
“It will lead to the closure of this business. It is inappropriate, unlawful and will lead to a massive legal dispute with Limerick City Council and I can assure you that will happen,” Mr Geraghty told the hearing.
Developers of the Opera Centre, Regeneration Developments Limited are currently in control of the majority of the proposed site.
Senior Planner with Limerick City Council, Richard Tobin, said a requirement for planning was that the developer was in control of the entire site.
A decision from An Bord Pleanala is due later this month.
-Barry Duggan
© Irish Independent, Thursday September 04 2008
It really does seem to be a pretty farcical situation. For those of you not familiar with the setup, Trinity Rooms is housed in both the Granary building and the modern office block inside the courtyard ( the outside bars are in the Granary with the niteclub on the ground floor of the office building).
I cant really understand why the City Council are imposing this condition regarding control of the site. One of the 2 “landmark” entrances to the new centre will be on the site of the existing Cahill May Roberts building adjacent to the Granary on Bank Place, so I dont see why the aquisition of this small plot is so imperative, as its not going to adversely affect access to the shopping centre! Surely some sort of a compromise can be achieved?
I think its fair to say, this probably wont be the last time An Bord Pleanala are involved in this project either!:rolleyes:
The Limerick Leader also has a piece on this saga.
It appears the original solution of demolishing the modern building to ground floor level and developing the new complex around it (thereby allowing trinity rooms to remain open) has been shelved!
Limerick nightclub may sue council for big payout
By Gerard Fitzgibbon
THE Trinity Rooms nightclub will seek a massive compensation payout if it is forced to make way for the Opera Centre development.
Sources close to Redroom Ltd, who operate the venue, told the Limerick Leader this Thursday they will take legal action over potential loss of earnings if the extension to the Granary building, which houses two-thirds of the Trinity Rooms, is demolished to make way for the Opera Centre.
The senior planner for Limerick City Council, Dick Tobin, admitted at a planning hearing on Wednesday that revised plans for the Opera Centre, which include the Granary building, could put the Trinity Rooms’ future in jeopardy.
“We have to take care to regard carefully the opportunity to create 1000 jobs with the temporary displacement of 100,” he said.
Redroom Ltd and Limerick City Council are in dispute of a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for a small piece of land at Bank Place plaza, directly outside the archway to the Granary courtyard.
Redroom Ltd are objecting to the CPO because they claim it will put the day-to-day running of their business at risk.
The City Council want to gain title to the land, which has no registered owner, so that it can comprise part of the €350 million Opera Centre.
Initial plans for the Opera Centre were approved in late 2006. However, Regeneration Developments, who submitted the plans, were purchased by a consortium of investors in 2007.
The Limerick Leader revealed earlier this year that one of the investors is Kerry businessman Jerry O’Reilly, who owns the Granary. A revised planning application for the Opera Centre, which will incorporate the Granary building, was lodged with the City Council in May. A decision on the plan is still pending.
@Tuborg wrote:
After all the recent shenanigans at the crescent and parkway valley, an extension to the Coonagh cross centre is now planned. This development is already considerably behind schedule as initially the second phase of the complex was due to be in operation by this summer. Although it is good to see a cinema included in the plans, a badly needed amenity on this side of the city.
Still no word on the opera centre though, the planners are obviously still sifting through the finer points of the application!
Tuborg, you say that the cimema is to go ahead in the new phase of the Coonagh Cross Centre. Everyone on the northside of the city has been lamenting the fact that the cinema has been axed from the original plans. I agree with your point that the cinema is badly needed on this side of the city. Why it has taken so long beats me.
@J.P wrote:
Tuborg, you say that the cimema is to go ahead in the new phase of the Coonagh Cross Centre. Everyone on the northside of the city has been lamenting the fact that the cinema has been axed from the original plans. I agree with your point that the cinema is badly needed on this side of the city. Why it has taken so long beats me.
Commendable yes, but what about the moniarity of older citizens who have/are deprived of a Central City Cinemy, Coonagh, Dooradoyle, and Castletroy are all a transport away ‘try and venture such a luxury without a car and you will know what I’m talking about.! Has any one out there with enough nouce to realise that a City Centered Cinema is an absolute MUST for a City the size of Limerick, surely such an investment could not fail. Youmg and Old are crying out for such a venue. I hear this cry from all City dwellers. not to mention the daily visitors who ask absentmindly , “can your direct me to the local cinema!”!!!!!? I read the trend is nowdays, for older people wanting to move back to the city (as is happening all over the world) for all the obvious reasons. Come on ‘someone fill this necessary void. .confused:
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