well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?
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@Paris Jack wrote:
As for this “Opera Centre”….well, why not knock down the rest of O’connell street while they’re at it, huh? God only knows they’ve done enough damage to Limerick City as it is! It’s the WRONG location! This project should be located on the upper part of Roches street! This would bring MUCH NEEDED life to Parnel street, upper Thomas street and to upper Roches street itself!!!
Ah Mattersons factory…]moated[/B] in the late seventies on the old factory sites of Parnell Street / Roches Street. Nothing ever came out of it back then. Eircom still possess a part of the old derelict Mattersons factory site. The six / seven storey Eircom telephone exchange building has still that crude communication pylon on top of it (Limerick’s Half Finished :rolleyes: Mini Eifel Tower). If my memory serves me right the City Council had stopped Eircom during contruction of the pylon due to it’s intended height. Unfinished and therefore out of proportion it looks an even worse eye sore on the Limerick’s skyline!
Limerick Crane Nightwork
A peep shot of the new Marriott Hotel (Savoy Centre) on Henry Street along side the mill warehouse.
Post https://archiseek.com/content/showpost.php?p=60037&postcount=955
Mill https://archiseek.com/content/attachment.php?attachmentid=3321&stc=1&d=1162756505
Photo by slinky2000 http://www.flickr.com/photos/slinky2000/327976483/
@PoxyShamrock wrote:
I honestly don’t think it’s that bad. In all fairness it could have been worse…they could have knocked the building. If you look to the right of Matthew Stephens you can see that that Eason have done the same with the building. The Original brickwork is still underneath. I don’t remember Cruises Hotel so I can’t be a judge of that disaster…..all I can say is that it was well before my time.
Ah come on! Its an absolute joke, Limerick City Councils job should be to preserve and protect what remains of the city’s georgian stock not destroy them! Obviously Retailers like Matthew Stephens dont give a s*** about historical buildings, they wanted to increase the amount of retail space available to them by converting the upper floors from storage to retail use. I dont see where Installing a gigantic window and plastering over what was a fairly attractive Brickwork facade fits into the plans.
Also Im not so sure about the Eason building, historical photographs dating back to the 1890s show a plastered finish to the building!
@CologneMike wrote:
It will be very difficult for the city council to refuse them planning permission on heritage grounds as they all can chant back “everybody else is doing it so why can’t we?â€.
Well the simple solution to that is : not to let this crap happen in the 1st place. How this one slipped through I’ll never know!
People, whats with the language creeping in to the posts. It started withTuborg try to express how upset he was over the jewellers on O Connell St, that was nearly acceptable given how upset he was but this post from Paris Jack is way over the top. Keep it for the Pat Short concert guys
@J.P wrote:
People, whats with the language creeping in to the posts. It started withTuborg try to express how upset he was over the jewellers on O Connell St, that was nearly acceptable given how upset he was but this post from Paris Jack is way over the top. Keep it for the Pat Short concert guys
And they told me my Tourettes was cured!
@Tuborg wrote:
And they told me my Tourettes was cured!
How uncanny, they told me the same f****** thing!
Multi-million plan for Limerick Boat Club (Limerick Leader)
By AINE FITZGERALD
http://www.limerickleader.ie/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=3419&ArticleID=1942270
AN AMBITIOUS multi-million euro development plan to transform the Limerick Boat Club into a state-of-the-art facility has been revealed this week.
Proposals for the facility off Sarsfield Bridge are to coincide with Limerick city’s regeneration programme and the ‘riverside city‘ development and include a museum, coffee shops, tourist information services, facilities for the theatre and the arts as well as a new pedestrian bridge linking the facility to Harvey’s Quay and up onto the newly pedestrianised Bedford Row. “Our objective is to take advantage of the current riverside city programme to improve our facilities, while at the same time securing the future of Limerick Boat Club on Sarsfield Bridge and thereby promoting the sport of rowing in Limerick for generations to come,” said Dermot Moloney, president, Limerick Boat Club. Limerick Boat Club, or the Boat Club as it is affectionately known, has a proud tradition of boating on Wellesley Pier on Sarsfield Bridge since 1870-making it one of Limerick’s oldest sporting clubs. Working closely with Limerick City Hall, the new development will be a joint initiative between Limerick Boat Club and a leading Limerick based development company, Fordmount Property Group the developers behind the Riverpoint building and the multi-million euro complex on the site of the old Savoy cinema. “The facility is not going to be a Riverpoint or a Clarion. It is not going to be enormous. What we are aiming to achieve is a building which is sensitive to its surroundings, that is tastefully done and that will enchance the riverside city development,” explained Michael Daly, Developer, Fordmount Property Group. At Limerick Boat Club’s 136th Annual General Meeting last month, detailed proposals were presented to the general membership and it was unanimously agreed that the proposed development should be submitted to the planning process with the assistance of the various parties involved. The architects engaged in the development are led by a former oarsman from Queens University Rowing Club and have a wealth of experience in similar ambitious urban design projects. “If we can get the support of the city and all those interested in promoting the sport of rowing in the city, it is hoped that plans could be submitted in the spring of 2007 and with a fair wind at our back, we would hope to be rowing out of the new, fully functional, state-of-the-art facility in the latter half of 2008,” said Mr Moloney.
21 December 2006See Post: https://archiseek.com/content/showpost.php?p=59454&postcount=932
Opera Centre
Browsed through the thread and came across a link to Lafferty’s Design website posted by ShaneP a year ago. To date this site never showed up on the Google search machine for the “Opera Centre”, as the site is built using Macromedia Flash. Alas the images are very small.
Multi-million plan for Limerick Boat Club (Limerick Leader)
Interesting proposals for the Limerick Boat and Club house (red brick buildings), just off the Sarsfield Bridge.
Question: Will “Poor Man’s Kilkee” remain an open green space?
Include a museum, coffee shops, tourist information services, facilities for the theatre and the arts.
Question: Will we have two tourist information centres or does this have consequences for Arthur’s Quay????
Question: I presume it also includes a new Club and Boat House?
Question: Is the site large enough for all these activities?
Question: Will Cheebah’s “Roots” be able to return to use the Arts / Theatre facilities? http://cheebah.typepad.com/A new pedestrian bridge linking the facility to Harvey’s Quay and up onto the newly pedestrianised Bedford Row.
Question: This probably means “Poor Man’s Kilkee“ and Wellesley Pier (Limerick Boat Club) will be bridged?
Question: Will a bridge here not restrict boats entering / leaving the Abbey Weir to the Shannon?It is not going to be enormous.
Question: Will it complement the bridge?
Question: Will it affect the view of the Shannon Boat Club on the other side?The architects engaged in the development are led by a former oarsman from Queens University Rowing Club and have a wealth of experience in similar ambitious urban design projects.
Question: Access to Wellesley Pier from Sarsfield Bridge to be maintained?
Question: Will it affect the location of the 1916 Memorial 😉 (Former Fitzgibbon Statue) on the Bridge?Image # 1: Entrance to Boat club left of the 1916 Memorial.
Image # 2: Former Fitzgibbon Statue: Boat and Club House in background.
Image # 3: View of Limerick Boat Club from Harvey’s Quay.
Image # 4: View of Quays. Pedestrianised it has great potential as Limerick’s “Recreational mile”.
The Boat Club plan has all the hallmarks of a “please everyone, please no-one” construction. As with every development on the river, it purports to be all things to all people, a cultural amenity, a sportsclub, a tourist site, a coffee house, and yet it won’t be “enormous”, how exactly? How does it either complement the river or the city? With the university building a top class rowing facility, does Limerick need this or has the boat club ended as a useful institution in the city? We already have Athlunkard, Shannon and St. Micheals as city-centre rowing clubs. Why should the current buildings be de-listed?
Why build on the river? There are so many sites and streets in Limerick in need for refurbishment, why risk losing one of unique buildings in Limerick when so much has already been lost? Why does the ESB site remain undeveloped? Or the old Dunnes? Surely the council should be working on these areas before delisting historic buildings?
What’s incredibly worrying is the implied compliance by the city council, we know they are very easily influenced by developers, evidenced by Cllr’s Jim Long’s hilarious flip-flopping over the Westfields plan, though I believe it was ignorant good intentions more than anything sinister, or the Opera centre, where it was left to an independant architect to appeal the needless destruction of a Georgian street, inspite of what may be called developers bribes to her. Have our City Fathers become so desperate for development that virtually every development must go unchecked? Limerick is definately an imporiving city, there’s no doubting that, but let’s hold on to some of the historic buildings of our city.
@justnotbothered wrote:
The Boat Club plan has all the hallmarks of a “please everyone, please no-one” construction.:confused: As with every development on the river, it purports to be all things to all people, a cultural amenity, a sportsclub, a tourist site, a coffee house, and yet it won’t be “enormous”, how exactly? How does it either complement the river or the city?
Where is your sense of curiosity when somebody makes a proposal for such a potential cultural amenity? Would it not be fair to give the Limerick Boat Club and the developer Michael Daly an opportunity to present their plans first to the public. It’s one thing raising concerns about the consequences of any particular development, but it’s not positive to knock it outright before seeing what’s on offer. Innovatively and quality wise he has delivered very well on phase one of the Riverpoint. So when he says “What we are aiming to achieve is a building which is sensitive to its surroundings, that is tastefully done and that will enchance the riverside city development,” explained Michael Daly, Developer, Fordmount Property Groupâ€, I’m curious to see despite my own reservations, what he will present. Are you not?
@CologneMike wrote:
Where is your sense of curiosity when somebody makes a proposal for such a potential cultural amenity? Would it not be fair to give the Limerick Boat Club and the developer Michael Daly an opportunity to present their plans first to the public. It’s one thing raising concerns about the consequences of any particular development, but it’s not positive to knock it outright before seeing what’s on offer. Innovatively and quality wise he has delivered very well on phase one of the Riverpoint. So when he says “What we are aiming to achieve is a building which is sensitive to its surroundings, that is tastefully done and that will enchance the riverside city development,” explained Michael Daly, Developer, Fordmount Property Groupâ€, I’m curious to see despite my own reservations, what he will present. Are you not?
I’m sad to say my sense of curiosity evapourated with my trust in developers a long time ago. Let’s not forget that while Riverpoint is a very impressive building to look from a distance, at ground level it is the usual mesh of vents that ensure the street remains lifeless, sadly, it’s ugliest floor is also it’s street level floor.
Perhaps I am being unfair, it just seems that everytime someone wants to build on the river they drag out the same tired cultural improvements line, the city falls for it, and 9 months later we have an Arthur’s Quay or a Steamboat Quay and the only culture involved is the ever decresing faith in developers.
Also, with the university building a top class rowing faciity, with 3city centre rowing clubs, I find it hard to have much sympathy for those who let Limerick Boat Club fall in to such disrepair that such dramatic surgery is needed.
All in all, I think the view of LBC, Shannon Boatclub with the castle in the backround, from the Shannon bridge, is an iconic view of Limerick, and doesn’t need much improvement or destruction. Talk to me about development where it is needed and you’ll get my full support.
@justnotbothered wrote:
Why risk losing one of unique buildings in Limerick when so much has laready been lost? Surely the council should be working on these areas before delisting historic buildings?
@justnotbothered wrote:
All in all, I think the view of LBC, Shannon Boatclub with the castle in the backround, from the Shannon bridge, is an iconic view of Limerick, and doesn’t need much improvement or destruction.
The two red brick buildings maybe listed, because they are a 100+ years old or so. If they are listed it still should not be a taboo to re-evaluate their status in light of the regeneration programme of the city especially with it’]emphasis[/B] on the ‘riverside city project’. http://www.riversidecity.ie The new proposal is logically a good one for the Boat Club if of course they are part of the proposal. New facilities would bring more members into club and people onto the river. The Shannon River is a totally under utilised amenity in Limerick. Similar proposals would be good for St Michael’s on Cleeve’s Bank and the Curragour Boat house along side the Court house.
Personally I see very little architectural merit or charm in those red brick buildings as compared to the Shannon Rowing Club on the other side of the bridge. In fact it’s the cut-stone Sarsfield Bridge with it’s once movable metal sections between Wellesley Pier and Poor Man’s Kilkee that should be the major focus of attention and not these small add-ons.
Why not consider a third option which would see the Wellesley Pier return to it’s original state just like Poor Man’s Kilkee is today i.e. an open green space.
In my opinion by removing the red brick buildings it would:
(1) Greatly improve the view of the beautiful cut-stone bridge.
(2) Reveal the once movable part of Sarsfield Bridge.
(3) Wellesley Pier as an open green space would be accessible for every one.
(4) Docking permanently a sailing ship (Maritime Museum) along side Poor Man’s Kilkee.Image # 1: Poor state of Limerick Boat Club.
Image # 2: Attractive front of Shannon Boat Club.
Image # 3: Rear perspective of Shannon Boat Club.
Image # 4: Site spot for a Sailing Ship (Maritime Museum) as it originally was?
Image # 5: Rare scene of the movable bridge as it opens it’s way to Arthur’s Quay.
Image # 6: Original shot of Bridge with no Boat House at all.
By the way Christmas greetings 🙂 from the Rhine to all the other Shannon-side posters!
@CologneMike wrote:
The two red brick buildings maybe listed, because they are a 100+ years old or so. If they are listed it still should not be a taboo to re-evaluate their status in light of the regeneration programme of the city especially with it’s emphasis on the ‘riverside city project’. http://www.riversidecity.ie The new proposal is logically a good one for the Boat Club if of course they are part of the proposal. New facilities would bring more members into club and people onto the river. The Shannon River is a totally under utilised amenity in Limerick. Similar proposals would be good for St Michael’s on Cleeve’s Bank and the Curragour Boat house along side the Court house.
Personally I see very little architectural merit or charm in those red brick buildings as compared to the Shannon Rowing Club on the other side of the bridge. In fact it’s the cut-stone Sarsfield Bridge with it’s once movable metal sections between Wellesley Pier and Poor Man’s Kilkee that should be the major focus of attention and not these small add-ons.
Why not consider a third option which would see the Wellesley Pier return to it’s original state just like Poor Man’s Kilkee is today i.e. an open green space.
In my opinion by removing the red brick buildings it would:
(1) Greatly improve the view of the beautiful cut-stone bridge.
(2) Reveal the once movable part of Sarsfield Bridge.
(3) Wellesley Pier as an open green space would be accessible for every one.
(4) Docking permanently a sailing ship (Maritime Museum) along side Poor Man’s Kilkee.Yeah, I agree those red brick buildings being knocked wouldn’t be much of a loss to the city, they are quiet an eyesore sometimes and are not of any architectural importance to me. On the other hand though the Shannon Boat Club is a highly impressive building and always looks stunning on a sunny day.
A Maritime Museum would be really nice but I don’t know whether it would take off as an attraction…although something that works well in European Cities is having Stationary Boats used as Restaurants. Something along those lines could be popular with local diners. If they removed the two red brick buildings i would like to see it used as a public area rather than some other developments, what I’d like to see there would be a public space with one of those coffee kiosks along the river in the summer like Cruises Coffee Co. on Bachelors Walk in Dublin.
Limerick really needs to focus on the river in the future. The Riverside City project just isn’t doing enough in my opinion, http://www.riversidecity.ie hasn’t been updated in a long time and their projects don’t seem to be arising. I think things like boat-trips and public areas along the river would really help Limerick’s Riverside. Limerick City Council should also try and promote the Canal in Limerick and the beautiful Marina we have.@CologneMike wrote:
Opera Centre
Browsed through the thread and came across a link to Lafferty’s Design website posted by ShaneP a year ago. To date this site never showed up on the Google search machine for the “Opera Centreâ€, as the site is built using Macromedia Flash. Alas the images are very small.
Its the best render yet of the Opera Centre, well dug out CologneMike! All we had to go on until now was the fairly crude image below.
The entrance features are somewhat similar to those at the Coonagh Cross centre (currently under construction on the Ennis Road) I wouldnt be mad about the beige cladding though, (if that is to be the final finish!) Also I thought ABP stipulated “no blank walls facing onto Ellen Street!” surely a continuation of the glazed frontage would be a much better option here?
Coonagh Cross
http://www.bwarchitects.co.za/project.htmMore on the Opera Centre from this weeks Limerick Leader, always a big fan of negativity!
December 23rd 2006
Developers say they are not pulling plug
Opera centre developers are denying that they intend to pull the plug on Limericks shopping mecca due to the number of conditions set out by An Bord Pleanala for the project to go ahead.
And developers are now looking at other locations for the €250 million development as they are “fed up†with redrawing their plans for the Patrick Street area, claims a city councilor.
But Belfast businessman Suneil Sharma and CEO of Regeneration Developments Ltd, told the Limerick Leader they fully intend to pursue their plans. “As far as we’re concerned these are just rumours. We are fully committed to the project, even though we’ve had some difficulties going forward. But we’re still going ahead†said Mr. Sharma.
Property owners on Patrick Street and Ellen Street were told by developers that the takeover would be finalized this November but that date now looks likely to drag on for at least another 4 months. “The take-over still hasn’t been finalized, the developers have seriously been thinking of pulling out and have been scouring other areas like Galway†said Cllr. Jim Long.
“I am led to believe the developers are seriously peeved off. Its report after report after report. We could have a potentially serious dilemma on our hands. “I believe this could warrant more co-operation,†concluded Cllr. Long.
An engineers report on the revised development I expected to reach Limerick City Council for assessment in February, which could take another 4 weeks to approve. This November Regeneration Developments Ltd were sent back to the drawing board after An Bord Pleanala set out 18 conditions for the project to go ahead. Four Georgian buildings on Rutland Street, which were due to be demolished for the construction of the Opera Centre, now have to be conserved and repaired.
Local architect Cait Ni Ceallachain who refused to accept a €250,000 payoff to withdraw her objection, criticized the original plans on the grounds that architectural heritage would be lost if the project went ahead.
The project, which is the biggest development in the country at present, is set to bring 1,200 new jobs to the region.
Damn those objectors for trying to save whats left of the city’s Georgian heritage, the cheek of them, they should be ashamed of themselves!
Cllr Long seems to specialise in the use of scare tactics, he’s been constantly giving on about planning delays. In a way he has a point but you have to strike a balance between an efficient planning process and the avoidance of development at all costs!
Anyway, enough of that, Happy Christmas to all our Limerick contributors, have a good one!:D
HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM PARIS FOLKS!!!
Mind how ya go and have a riot!!! NOT literally though, just keep it real!!! Keep up the good work on this thread!!! Limerick City needs YOU!!!
Well, I’m off down to my local to sink a few LARGE ones of the black stuff, and have a toast to Limerick!!!
More on the pedestrianisation here.
Limerick City Council is planning to pedestrianise part of O’Connell Street in the heart of Limerick city centre.
Director of transport with the local authority Pat Dromey confirmed that plans are underway for the pedestrianisation of O’Connell Street from the junction at William Street as far as Roches Street.
This new plans follow the recent pedestrianisation in the city centre of Bedford Row and part of Thomas Street, which was completed last month.
The remainder of Thomas Street, along with Little Catherine Street, is due to be completed by mid-June.
Plans for the pedestrianisation of a section of O’Connell Street will be put on public display in the coming weeks, according to the council.
“There will be extensive consultation with all the stakeholders before we advance the planning process and we are hopeful that work on the pedestrianisation of O’Connell Street will start in the autumn,” revealed Mr Dromey.
“But an integral part of pedestrianising O’Connell Street is the proposed inner orbital route of the city that will take the diverted traffic, and this will also be put on public display in the new year,” he added.
Thomas Street businesswoman Siobhan Clifford, who owns the Exit shop, said that traders are delighted with the first phase of pedestrianisation of the street, which finished on December 8, 2006.
“It looks fabulous and there has definitely been a pick-up in trade since the works finished. We are getting more passing trade as people come back into the street,” said Ms Clifford.
“The disruption throughout the year was difficult on traders but the end result is definitely worth it. No pain, no gain! I am delighted to hear that parts of O’Connell Street are going to be pedestrianised because it will complement the work done in Thomas Street and Bedford Row.”
The Limerick Co-ordination Office (LCO) acted as an intermediary for the past year among Thomas Street and Bedford Row businesses, consultants and the city council.
LCO city-centre co-ordinator Andrew Mawhinney said: “Limerick City Council is to be complimented on its pedestrianisation programme.
“Already, we have seen private investment stimulated by this work and the public space can be used for a variety of purposes,” he said.
Mr Mawhinney also complimented businesses in Bedford Row and Thomas Street for their patience and understanding during the construction work.
City Centre Remodelling Project (Managers Report for 2007)
http://www.limerickcity.ie/general/finance/documents/Managers_Report_for_2007.pdf
The regeneration of the City Centre area to create a high quality public realm is a priority for the Transport and Infrastructure department. In this respect several project are currently being progressed and these include:
(a) Bedford Row
The remodelling of Bedford Row to create a high quality pedestrian street was substantially completed during 2006. Work will be completed during 2007 when the Savoy Retail & Hotel development is completed.(b) Thomas Street/Augustinian Lane/Little Catherine Street/Little William Street.
Works commenced in August 2006 on Thomas Street to create a high quality pedestrian street and works are now substantially completed on the section between O’Connell Street and Little William Street. Paving works have also been substantially completed to Augustinian Lane. In January 2007 works will resume with remodelling works to Thomas Street between Little William Street and Little Catherine Street, on Little William Street and on Little Catherine Street. These works are scheduled to be completed by June 2007.(c) Upper Thomas Street/Foxe’s Bow/Catherine Street (between Thomas St. andRoches St.)
Plans are now reasonably advanced for remodelling works on Upper Thomas Street, Foxe’s Bow and on Catherine Street between Thomas Street and Roches Street as per Part 8 plans for the city centre adopted in 2003. It is hoped to advance these projects to tender during the first quarter of 2007.(d) Limerick City Centre Orbital Route
Arup Consulting Engineers working with the Roads Engineering staff of Limerick City Council have developed plans for an Inner Orbital Route in Limerick City that will facilitate the full pedestrianisation of O’Connell Street between William Street and Roches Street thus creating a high quality pedestrianised public space in Limerick City centre. This Inner Orbital Route will also facilitate the extensive re-modelling of the remainder of the streetscape of O’Connell Street and William Street providing wider modern footpaths and new street furniture. A number of different options on the Orbital Route were presented to the Transportation & Infrastructure SPC in November of 2006 and detailed plans are currently been prepared for both the Orbital Route and the remodelling of O’Connell Street and William Street so that this major scheme can be advanced to the Part 8 public consultation phase during the first quarter of 2007. Extensive consultation will be carried out with all stakeholders during the first quarter of 2007, to create plans that best reflects the type of city centre the citizens of Limerick city will desire in the future.Corbally Link Road / Park Canal Development (Managers Report for 2007)
http://www.limerickcity.ie/general/finance/documents/Managers_Report_for_2007.pdf
Construction work on phase 2 of the Corbally Link Road commenced in September 2006. The scheme involves the construction of 1km of a single carriageway road linking Grove Island with Park Road and involves the construction of a new bridge over the Park Canal, high quality footpaths and cycle paths, public lighting, new watermain, sewers and associated utilities. Construction work is currently being carried out by Sorenson Civil Engineering Limited and should be completed by May 2007. This contract costing €4.5 million is part funded by a Grant from the DoEHLG.
Phase 1 of the Park Canal Project was completed during 2006 and involved deepening and cleaning of the Canal and the provision of footpaths and cycle ways. It should be noted that the Canal is currently closed to facilitate the safe construction of the Corbally Link Road Bridge but will open again in early 2007. Phase 2 of this project should commence during 2007.
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