well what about the developments popping up in the shannonside ?

Roman baths: new plan for former Jesuit church

Fiona Tyrrell Thu, Dec 20, 2007

A former Jesuit church in Limerick is to be turned into a day spa and leisure centre and will feature a 20-metre swimming pool in the nave of the church.
The Jesuit Church of the Sacred Heart at The Crescent in Limerick city and its adjoining residence is to be redeveloped into a mixed-use leisure facility to be called the Roman Baths.
The two buildings were purchased by Galway-based developer John O’Dolan for over €4 million last year.
O’Dolan has been in pre-planning talks with Limerick City Council regarding his plans for the landmark buildings and expects to lodge a full planning application within four weeks.
Various uses for the buildings – including a commercial office building, restaurant and a pub/club – were considered before a proposal to develop a mixed-use leisure facility was decided upon.
The scheme, if it gets the go-ahead from the local authority, will see the church transformed into a day spa featuring a swimming pool, gym and treatment rooms.
Architect John Kennedy of Waterford-based Elliot Design said the proposed scheme will involve “very little alteration to the church” and “virtually all of the fabric of the existing structure” will be retained, including all five altars.
The pool will be in the nave of the church, where the congregation once sat, and a glass wall around the pool area will ensure that the existing view from the front of the church to the altar remains intact, said Kennedy. A gym of around 743sq m (8,000sq ft) will be on a new floor to be constructed five metres above the ground floor.
A sauna and steam room will be in an ancillary space adjoining the church. Six spa treatment rooms will be in the basement of the church and the adjoining residence.
It is proposed to put a restaurant and juice bar on the ground floor of the residential building and have eight individual office suites on upper levels, providing around 743sq m (8,000sq ft) of space.
The church was developed by the Jesuit order in the mid 19th century.
The developer says he has been in talks with a group about holding a Latin Mass in the building once a month.
The use of the church as a leisure facility will ensure continued public access to the building, he says.

© 2007 The Irish Times

Bord na gCon move towards new greyhound stadium

Limerick Post By John O’Shaughnessy

THE FIRST steps towards a new greyhound stadium for Limerick were taken this week, when Bord na gCon, through the Limerick Race Company, lodged a full planning permission with Limerick City Council, for the development of a greyhound stadium and headquarter office, at the former Greenpark Racecourse, on a 6.6 Ha site.

Several months ago, and as exclusively reported in the Limerick Post, Bord na gCon took an option on the Greenpark site after they had abandoned plans to locate close to the Two Mile Inn Hotel because of planning difficulties with Clare County Council.

The proposed development at Greenpark will consist of a greyhound racing stadium and ancillary development works, car parking, lighting, landscaping and access works, all on a site of 6.6 Ha.

The track will be a 500m greyhound track (480m internal circumference/510 m external circumference), it will provide stadia viewing, dining area, kennel block, shop, storage areas and office building.

Site levels will be increased to accommodate the proposed development so that the proposed finished floor level of the stadium building will be 4.5m.

The track will generally be at a level of 4.2m, and the final height of the stadium building will be 16.1m with additional roof support poles of 9.7m.

Filling of lands over an infrastructure wayleave is also proposed.

The facility will provide for 510 car, 54 greyhound trailers vehicles and three coach parking spaces around the stadium with access onto and from the Dock Road via the permitted internal access road which will require detail changes.

The proposed will also allow for the construction of a roundabout on this internal access road to access the north east end of the stadium site.

Should full planning permission be granted, Bord na gCon will be placing both the Markets Field and their Henry Street offices on the open market.

Third time lucky!

Limerick 37 to return to the Market’s Field in the near future? 😎

@CologneMike wrote:

Third time lucky!

Limerick 37 to return to the Market’s Field in the near future? 😎

Or maybe not!

Radical plan for 10,000 seat stadium in Cals Park

THE Limerick Leader has learned that talks are at a “crucial and sensitive” stage in securing a state of the art indoor sports and events stadium which could hold over 10,000 people.
The Hyde Road site has been earmarked as the venue for the massive development, which could be home to Limerick soccer and also possibly be used for international concerts and conferences.

A number of interested parties, including Limerick City Council, the FAI, the Limerick Regeneration Board and Limerick District Management Committee are believed to be involved in talks regarding the possibility of building the facility.

The chief executive of the Limerick Regeneration Agencies, Brendan Kenny, confirmed that Regeneration officials were involved in the talks and that proposals for Caledonian Park would be included in the Regeneration Vision Document, which is released in January.
“We would very much love to have a state of the art sporting facility in the area,” said Mr Kenny.

Mr Kenny could not confirm the size of the stadium being discussed but said that the mooted capacity figure of 10,500 wasn’t faroff the mark.
The Limerick Leader was this week shown a document which showed how far the secret negotiations have come along.

The document published by the Limerick Football Partnership, which consists of all schoolboys, ladies and junior and senior teams in Limerick, details the group’s infrastructure requirements.

Cllr Jim Long, who is a representative for the area in which the stadium may be built, said that City Council is in negotiations to purchase ground owned by CIE next to the council-owned Guinness site on Carey’s road, which also borders on the Caledonian Park site.

“It’s my understanding that talks are at a crucial and sensitive stage between City Council, the FAI, the Regeneration Boards, CIE, the LDMC and representatives from the Limerick senior soccer scene,” said Cllr Long.

The article is a bit short on detail, although the notion that an indoor arena could become “a home” for Limerick soccer is a bit ridiculous. Im not sure how big this proposed site is but if the city council are getting involved, why not go the whole hog and finally develop a proper stadium that senior soccer in the city so badly needs and deserves! Im not sure about the markets field, it looks like that site will more than likely be sold to the highest bidder.

@Tuborg wrote:

Radical plan for 10,000 seat stadium in Cals Park

The article is a bit short on detail, although the notion that an indoor arena could become “a home” for Limerick soccer is a bit ridiculous. Im not sure how big this proposed site is but if the city council are getting involved, why not go the whole hog and finally develop a proper stadium that senior soccer in the city so badly needs and deserves! Im not sure about the markets field, it looks like that site will more than likely be sold to the highest bidder.

The drawback with Caledonian Park is that it is landlocked on all sides. It is flanked by a long row of houses on the Hyde road side and a railway line on the other. Access used to be through a small pedestrian lane from the Hyde Road side or over a footbridge from Janesboro. I believe that the shops at the top end of Hyde road are now demolished? I wonder, if the Limerick City Council under the regeneration of Ballinacurra Weston have plans to re-design the layout of the estate?

I wonder, if the City Council has since drawn up some guidelines for the Clancy Strand area after receiving / granting this planning application? If visual impact is one of the main concerns for this development, then maybe a solution would be for the developer to simulate the proposed development by erecting covered scaffolding to outline the new building. This could be a practical aid for the local residents, friends of Jackson’s Turret or An Bord Pleanala to see the physical impact of this development on Clancy Strand.

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By the way Dan, did you appear in RTE’s “Questions & Answers” from the Hilton recently? (17.12.2007 Programme)

Looks like two of the main anchor tenants for the opera centre might be M+S and Brown Thomas, does this imply that Brown thomas on O’Connell street is going to be re-developed after the move?

MARKS & Spencer could be moving to more than one location in Limerick .

Jenny Mulholland, head of property planning for Ireland with Marks & Spencer, has confirmed their intentions to have a second outlet in Limerick and said having a city centre outlet “is definitely on our strategy.”

“We have always been very interested in having a centre in Limerick city, even if it is just a food outlet. The city is very vibrantand we are keen to be a part of the retail environment there as well. We’re looking at a number of locations in the city,” she said.

Rooney Auctioneers are in discussions with the British chain regarding acquiring an outlet in the €250million Opera Centre. M&S has already committed to opening in the Crescent Shopping Centre.

Auctioneer, Pat Kearney said: “I think they may want a presence in both locations. They could have clothing in one store and food in the other.”

The flagship store in Raheen, which will be the biggest in the west of the country, will include fashion, home and furniture products, a food hall, café and deli bar.

Mr Kearney confirmed that Brown Thomas has also been approached about moving from O’Connell Street to the Opera Centre, but said “nothing positive has happened on that front yet.”

@CologneMike wrote:

If auctioneer Pat Kearney can convince the directors of Brown Thomas in Dublin to move to the Opera Centre, then this would definitely unlock the city’s premier commercial site for re-development. Ideally such a re-development opportunity should extend as far back as Little Catherine Street!

I really can’t see BT moving out of their Premises on O’Connell St. After all it is their building and if they were to move to The Opera Centre it would mean paying rent. A BT2 in The Opera Centre would be a good thing though.

Two conflicting reports here on the exact nature of the works to be carried out on the opera centre site in the near future. Both however confirm what many of us had thought for quite a while, ie. that the developers have bought up a number of adjacent properties that had not formed part of the initial application. The most interesting inclusion is that of the old City hall, strangely only the facade of the building is listed on the record of protected structures!:confused:

Other properties likely to form part of the revised development are No.s 1,2,3 Patrick Street, immediately adjacent to the Catherine Hayes house and also the former fat zoe’s restaurant beside the town hall. It remains to be seen how these will be integrated into the shopping complex. I wonder is Pat Keogh being a tad optimistic in hoping for no further delays given the history of the project so far?

€250m development boost for city centre

By Jimmy Woulfe, Mid-West Correspondent

LIMERICK city centre has received another boost with confirmation yesterday that work on the massive Opera Centre development is to get underway in the new year.
Belfast businessman Suneil Sharma is behind the €250 million project.

The news came a day after it was announced that a €40m development is being planned for another location in the heart of the city.

The Opera Centre will cover a massive 400,000 square feet with frontage onto five streets which will include Rutland St, Patrick St, Ellen St, Michael St and Bank Place.

Pat Kearney, who heads Rooney Auctioneers, spent more than four years negotiating the purchase of properties with up to 40 landlords, owners and tenants.

Mr Kearney said: “This will be fantastic for the city and it will give Limerick a new national shopping focus.”

The Opera Centre development will take more than two years to complete and will feature spectacular elevated walkways encased in glass, linking various shopping locations within its parameters.

More than 1,200 people will be employed full-time in the centre.

It has been named after a famous Limerick opera singer, Catherine Hayes, who was born in Patrick Street and who sang for Queen Victoria in Buckingham Palace.

It is planned to preserve her old home at No 4 Patrick Street as a museum in her honour.

Mr Keogh, of Regeneration Developments, who is overseeing the huge development, said it was now all systems go with all planning requirements satisfied.

These include surveys and conservation reports on houses in Patrick Street.

Demolition work to clear the main site will commence in January.

Mr Keogh said: “Some adjustments will likely be made to the original state of the art plans, because additional properties have come into the scheme. Some plans will be amended and we hope that this will not cause any delays. This will be a huge boost to the regeneration of the heart of the city.”

A report on the revitalisation of the city centre published last week warned that the city centre was in urgent need of massive development of its retail sector.

The report, co-authored by the former president of the University of Limerick Dr Ed Walsh, stated that the city centre retail sector had, to an unprecedented scale, fallen behind the suburban shopping areas.

It called for an iconic development of the Arthur’s Quay Park area which is adjacent to where the Opera Centre stands.

Irish Examiner

Marks & Spencer considering move to €250m centre in Limerick

Marks & Spencer could be moving to more than one location in Limerick in two years time.

Rooney Auctioneers on O’Connell Street, Limerick, are currently in discussions with the British chain regarding acquiring an outlet in the €250m Opera Centre.

Auctioneer Pat Kearney said: “I think they may want a presence in both locations. They could have clothing in one store and food in the other.”

Jenny Mulholland, head of property planning for Ireland with Marks & Spencer, has confirmed their intentions to have a second outlet in Limerick and said having an outlet in the city centre “is definitely on our strategy”.

“We have always been very interested in having a centre in Limerick city, even if it is just a food outlet. The city is very vibrant and we are keen to be a part of the retail environment there as well. We’re looking at a number of locations in the city,” said Ms Mulholland.

Marks & Spencer have already confirmed their intentions to open a major outlet at the Crescent Shopping Centre in Raheen, Limerick, pending planning permission from Limerick County Council.

The flagship store in Raheen, which will be the biggest in the west of the country, will include a wide range of fashion, home and furniture products, a food hall, café and a deli bar.

Mr Kearney confirmed that Brown Thomas have also been approached about moving from their store on O’Connell Street to the Opera Centre, but said “nothing positive has happened on that front yet”.

Despite a number of media reports stating that work is to begin on the massive retail centre in January, Pat Keogh, who is involved in the development of the Opera Centre, has dismissed these suggestions.
Rather, conservation work will be carried out on four Georgian buildings on Rutland Street, which An Bord Pleanála ruled to conserve.

Mr Keogh said as a number of other buildings have come into their possession since the application was granted, they will be going back to City Hall with further amendments to their application.

One such building is the offices of the Limerick Post, which is a protected structure.

Mr Keogh said the full plans for the future of the Opera Centre will be tied down in the New Year, and said plans to include The Granary building on Michael Street into their development is “not certain and not conclusive”.

Dick Tobin, senior planner with Limerick City Council, said they have received compliances in relation to the planning permission that was granted by An Bord Pleanála earlier this year.

However, he said he has not been made aware of any new plans to alter the application, to include The Granary, which houses the nightclub, Trinity Rooms, the City Library and City Enterprise Board, among other offices.

“I haven’t heard anything formally yet. As tenants we would have to be informed even before the planners would be informed,” said Mr Tobin.

When built, the Opera Centre will be the largest commercial development in the Mid-West and is expected to create in excess of 1,000 jobs.

Belfast businessman Suneil Sharma sold on his interests in the Opera Centre to a consortium of investors this May for an undisclosed sum.

Kerry property tycoon Jerry O’Reilly has been confirmed as one of the three new investors.

Mr O’Reilly also owns The Granary building in Limerick, which is a protected structure.

breakingnews.ie

Attached
Old City Hall Rutland Street Limerick

34-41 Catherine Street

File No: 081
Received Date: 1/2/2008
Applicant Name: Catherine Street Partnership

Description: Construct six floors of commercial accommodation consisting of; offices, retail at street level, 3 levels of basement car parking 110 car parking spaces and associated site works in connection with the proposed development. This includes the demolition of numbers 34,35,36,37,38,39,40 & 41 Catherine Street along with the buildings to the rear of these properties including the former Limerick Leader facilities. The facades of 35, 36 & 37 (35 & 37 are proposed protected structures) will be retained and restored to their original state.

Murray O’Laoire Architects

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@Tuborg wrote:

You went a building too far with your highlighter there CologneMike, the yellow building marks the boundary of the site.

Pity, they could have extended the “Catherine Street Partnership” as far as Gleeson’s shop on the corner.

Have you heard anything more for the former Hanratty’s Hotel on Glenthworth Street? The planning application extends into the whole core of that block, including a building on Cecil Street on the other side.

Any images of the “Foreign Affairs” offices at the top of Henry Street about?