well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?

An unusual event occurred over the last week or so with two developments given the go ahead in the “medieval” area of the city! The reason its unusual is because Limerick City Council have shot down a considerable number of applications especially in the Nicholas Street area over the last couple of years.

There has been a lot of noise over the last decade or so about developing Nicholas Street as a tourist attraction, however very little has actually been achieved. The area is currently plagued by vacant premises and wholesale neglect.

The major problem seems to be a lack of a coherent strategy for the rejuvenation of the area. There needs to be some kind of stimulus to attract businesses to locate here. Maybe the Council could reduce the commercial rate or better still waive it for a certain period?

Anyway, the first site is on Bridge Street, just across the road from St Mary’s Cathedral.

08249

Permission for the demolition of a single storey structure and the construction of a 4 storey office development and ancillary works to site adjacent to the former Post Office.

Site adjacent to former Post Office
Bridge Street
Limerick.

Its a funny thing but I took a walk down Nicholas street today and along Mary street for the first time in I don’t know how long. It looked completely different to how I remembered it as a kid, especially Mary street (I drive down it all the time but some how I don’t notice the changes when I’m driving.)

I recall looking at a site notice in a window there on Bridge street and the application was made, I think, in June or July so I just assumed either the app. had been knocked back or the developer/builder decided to pull out. The site’s proximity to the road would affect its commercial viabilty I would imagine.

Of the other site on Nicholas street I only know what you’ve already made ref. to viz. the discovery of a mediaeval fireplace held up the project. (the cafe thing is interesting. In 1785 a ‘cafe’ named the Merchant’s Coffee House was opened next door to the Exchange on Nicholas street according to Georgian Limerick Vol II. Just a thought.)

Personally I can’t see Nicholas street attracting any serious investment until the perceived threat from elements within St. Mary’s Park is addressed. Stix is a real hoodie hang out that does nothing for the area. Also, and this is a personal view, I don’t like the road surfacing. They’ve use granite, a quality material, on the footpaths which is great but the concrete setts on the road are horrible. Simple as that. I’d rather they used asphalt. If Nicholas st. and Mary street were paved with a limestone or even the tegula favoured by Nicholas de Jong (although I still prefer stone) it would really lift the area imo, I don’t think you can underestimate the impact of quality paving materials.

Dave I’m not sure what you mean by ‘small implications’ but if you think that a slapped up, sand & cement finished shopping centre jusifies pulling down half a street of classicallly proportioned houses built of Limerick limestone and Limerick fired brick dating back to the mid 1700’s is a minor matter then I think you’re mad. Nothing personal you understand, I just do not believe it will turn the city centre into the kind of vibrant CBD that you describe. Do you think Arthur’s Quay has been a wonderful success? I don’t. I believe the future of this city lies in preserving the little we’ve got left. The old neglected laneways and bow-ways in Limerick are perfectly suited to the Parisien arcade treatmet if only we had developers with the vision. These are the kind of shopping focussed developments that will put Limerick on the map not crappy shopping malls with thirty year life spans. That said if an accomodaton is reached that doesn’t invovle pulling down streets I’ll certainly welcome it.

@Fairy wrote:

Read this week, The Opera Centre will NOT commence until 2011 – 3 more years of waiting and having to look at the boarded up buildings on Patrick St, Ruthland St. What a total shambles.

It’s really not that surprising, is it? For 50 years, Limerick has been one of the most mismanaged cities in Western Europe, its innate potential constantly stifled by corruption, stupidity, and laziness. And nothing will happen about it until people start lynching city councillors.

@dave123 wrote:

Where is your source?!

I believe that the question you mean to ask is: “What is your source?”

@KeepAnEyeOnBob wrote:

In fairness even a good council would be fairly constrained by the circumstances of having half the city conurbation lying outside the city limits, and more particularly, having the poorer parts of the city.

The no. 1 reason for Limerick failing to pull its weight is the lack of a boundary extension. Raheen and Castletroy should both entirely be within the city, indeed areas such as Newtown, Annacotty and the area out the Fr. Russel Road towards Mungret should be in it (possibly Mungret too, as it would be prime target for Co. Co. development if just outside a revised boundary).

It’s idiotic allowing Limerick Co. Co. to have any say – the detrimental effect to Limerick city of the current situation has held the county back too. Sure the county council might be too poor to run the county well for the medium term, but a more thriving economic hub of Limerick city would bring greater benefits to the county in the longer term.

Well put Bob – I completely agree,the Co.Co have been almost totally responsible for creating the donut effect that has pretty much destroyed trading in the city centre – you cant blame them really – its happened in DublinCorkGalway but without the same consequences for their cities. Rutland St,Patrick St.,O Connel St and especially Sarsfield st look a bit grim to say the least – and if the Opera centre site stays boarded up…..this will be the biggest centre city eyesore in Ireland.Do we really need two councils in Limerick ? – cant we be cute and have one central council for the whole county. We can retain a ‘pretend’ city council to look after say tourism , city centre development & planning , removing bubblegum… let the main Limerick council reside in its fine offices in Dooradoyle ,scap the ridiculous L and Lk car reg and have L only , and extend the boundary as far as possible – in Limerick only – forget Clare,thats a fight not worth getting into.

Not a fan of Arthur’s Quay – at least in terms of design, part of city centre, and replacing what it did – however, I think saying it’s the worst city centre building in Europe is ridiculous hyperbole. Besides, until they did it up, that honour surely would have gone to Cork bus station?

Arthur’s Quay isn’t even the worst city centre building in Limerick – I would sooner put forward the Sarsfield Street old Dunnes, or even Todds as that. AIB up the street is pretty lame too – actually kind of strangely resonant with AQ – maybe it’s just the green colour and vintage.

Actually Arthur’s Quay seems to be working better than ever as a shopping mall since the food court was put into the top floor (it kind of makes one wonder why on earth not have done that from day 1, years ago!) and there is more of a variety of shops today too (it was far grimmer in the mid 90s). I’d still prefer actual streetscape of course – what a city centre should be. Opera Centre will simply be a bigger modern version of AQ – can’t understand how people can even begin to think of it as some kind of visionary wonder-project.

I agree AQ is a mostly cheap and nasty construction – although the right side of it looking from the park looks OK – perhaps its the trees hiding it. There has been a lot of poor buildings thrown up – River House on Charlottes quay is terrible , take your choice of the rubbish built on John st and the flatlands on the dock road are going to look even worse with lack of maintenance in a few years.

I don’t deny that other buildings in Limerick are completely ugly too, but Arthur’s Quay is the worst because of its central position which, in my view, completely cheapened the feel of the whole city centre. If we’re talking about the aesthetic qualities of buildings without reference to their context, then everything built in the 20th in the city centre is so awful, that it seems like a waste of time comparing their awfulness. In any case, since my original point was about the mismanagement by the city council, I think the wealth of examples merely supports that point.

Well I definitely agree that the 21st century architecture is undistinguished, not least the stumpy high rise buildings. The whole riverside is, in fact, an abject failure. But personally I feel that everything that went on in the city centre in the 20th century made a beautiful city ugly: Arthur’s Quay, Penneys, Roches, Liddy Street, Dunnes Stores, AIB bank, Bank of Ireland, Brown Thomas, the lower end of William Street, Cruises Street. Each and every one of these was a disaster. And, for me, Arthur’s Quay was the worst. Now, all that remains of the warren of the narrow medieval pattern georgian streets around Denmark Street and Ellen Street is a portion of the original Ellen Street which still contains antique shops and the like. And they are now suggesting that it is necessary to pull down this charming street in order to build another Arthur’s Quay? Will they ever learn? Why are the city council, ignorant moronic bumpkins all of them, allowed to make decisions on things like this? They have proven themselves incapable of it in the past. I would suggest that there would not be a flight from the city centre to suburban shopping centres if we had a beautiful historic core which is a pleasure to stroll around, instead of a dirty, intimidating 20th century wasteland. So I don’t think the county council are entirely to blame for the city’s problems.