hailtothechimp

@CologneMike wrote:

Check out the house numbers by viewing the reports, directions and orders at An Bord Pleanála. see link

I have. See below:

Demolition of Nos. 4, 5, 6 & 7 Rutland St., Nos. 6 & 7 Patrick St., No. 3 Ellen St, and Eurosurf and Workspace buildings on Michael St.]

So basically 4, 5, 6 & 7 Rutland St are to be totally demolished while 8 & 9 will have their facades retained. I can’t quite visualise that. I’d need to go down and check, but if anybody can name the shops/businesses that were in those numbers I’d be grateful.

It appears that the building housing the Limerick Post is to be left alone. If so, I wonder why The Green Onion has vacated the place? It would be an absolute travesty if such a fine structure was interfered with.

@CologneMike wrote:

By the way have you heard any news on the proposed Film House for the Belltable?

It’s been 3 years or more since the 750, 000 Euro was allocated for the redevelopment of the Theatre Royal as an art house cinema. I haven’t seen any movement whatsoever on it since then. I wish I knew what was going on. It’s getting ridiculous at this stage.

@Limerick Guy wrote:

first of all great pics hailtothechimp. just to let everyone know in the first two pics the tide is fully in, i think the land which is going to be built upon is actually under water in those first two pics.

Thanks. Though the tide is in in the pics, my understanding is that the entire area between the Shannon (at low tide) and the main road is included in the proposed project. Even if that’s not the case, I find it impossible to believe that such a huge development could be built on the ‘underwater area’ without causing significant disruption to the rest of the area.

If nothing else, the greenery would be completely obscured from the far bank of the Shannon by the proposed buildings.

@Maskhadov wrote:

I think if the development is done in a careful and well thought out way I would totally back the proposal.

What are the chances of that? And if it’s simply going to be ‘Luxury Apartments’ what possible civic benefit is there in such a venture?

@ShaneP wrote:

In the mean time I think it would be a great idea if the city council along with local restaurants and perhaps someone like the Belltable Film Club could organise outdoor films during the summer in the park.

Great idea. Speaking of films, does anyone know what in tarnation is happening with the Theatre Royal? It is over 2 years since a group, under the auspices of The Belltable, won a 750, 000 Euro grant from the Cultural Cinema Consortium (arts council). As I understood it at the time, the plan was to use this money to transform the Theatre Royal into a permanent Art House theatre. Nothing at all seems to have happened since then.

This is from the Arts Council website:

“In July 2003, under Phase One of the Consortium’s capital investment scheme, it awarded capital investment funding valued at €750,000 each also to Kino in Cork and Belltable’s Filmhouse in Limerick for development of art house cinema.” link

That page also announces funding for Solas in Galway, and the Light House in Dublin.

So what’s happening with the Limerick money? I know the Belltable Film Club was being run out of the old Central Studio but has now retreated to the Belltable itself as that building is soon to be partially demolished (see above). Is the money simply being used to run the film club itself? Are there now no plans to transform the Theatre Royal?

Anyone have any idea what’s happening?

A few more shots. Not too much new development to be seen but interesting panoramas all the same. Taken fron the top floor of the Clarion Hotel:

http://static.flickr.com/23/31561765_c0d4af1969_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/21/31562360_df2a4cc70e_b.jpg

@dave123 wrote:

Not a great pic , but got it from http://www.rooneyauctioneers.com
the development is on Bedford row
consist if 4 storey over bacement , ant comments?

more pics later 🙂

The development on Bedford Row shown is where the “Central Studio” cinema is/was. The cinema has long since closed its doors as a permanent theatre but it was being used by the Belltable for their film club.

The familiar facade of the “Central” is a 20th Century addition to a much older Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. If you go down there now and look at the side of the building you can see that the “Central” facade extends only about 15 feet in from the street. The actual theatre part of the cinema was, in fact, the modified interior of the chapel. You can see the bricked up windows of the chapel in the alley beside the “Central” and, of course, you can see the ‘gothic’ detail on the roof area if you stand further up Bedford Row and look at it from an angle. You can also get a good look at the roof from the top floor of the new Dunne’s Stores.

As far as I understand it the plan is to demolish the “Central Studio” facade to reveal (once again) the facade of the original chapel. Could work out quite nicely if done well.