justnotbothered

@CologneMike wrote:

King’s Island

Sorry but I found the tone of your post on the Island Field to be somewhat unfair, it gives the impression that there are only thugs living there, god only knows the crap and intimidation the residents of the island field have to put up with on a daily basis from our infamous “family-feud-saga” and a handful of dysfunctional families! The people of the island field are sound. I don’t want to start a discussion on the social ills of some our council estates in Limerick, as the Archiseek-forum’s emphasis is on architecture.

However you could be right in saying that the negative news emanating from there, could be holding back the redevelopment of the King’s Island as a cultural and tourist amenity.

Sadly the old Abbey area seems to be gone and is now been rejuvenated by new hotels, apartments etc. etc. Hope the new residents will put some new lease of life back into the old sandmall.

With respect, I think you’ve missed my point. My point isn’t that the Island field is wholly populated by thugs, but rather, this entire quarter of town is allowed be ruined by thugs. 15 years ago Thomondgate and Ballynanty would have been seen as pretty rough areas but they’ve been steadily improved (by both the residents and the city council), imo, the Island field hasn’t really seen any such improvement.

Poxy, I think your comments on Limerick are both unfair and misguided. All last week the papers were discussing drug dealing on the Liffey boardwalk, sadly, every city in Ireland, Dublin, Cork, Limerick or Galway has it’s share of social problems, one need only look at the dirt in Eyre Sq. to see Limerick isn’t alone in having it’s amenities vandalised. However, we need to be relentless in tackling this in Limerick, becuase Limerick’s repuatation is so much worse than that of the other small Irish cities.

On the Docks project, I think it’s fair to say I’m cynical of any plans to make developers rich. I’d much rather hear why the Shannon Port Company feel it’s wise to sell a profitable docks becuase they (through their own incompetance) have landed themselves in 20 million euro debt. It’s asset stripping disguised as development, though in this instance, I feel we have yet to hear the full story.

Great post Mike. There’s plenty of scope for the proper development of that area but I really don’t think the city is leading the development very well. I’d like to know what became of the money for the theatre royal?

Interesting, are there soon to be four private hospitals in the Limerick region? And this development, along with the Dublin Road Bypass entering the dual carriageway between the city and Bunratty should see this entire area transformed over the next 10 years.

Land near Bunratty Castle reported to attract record bid of €25m

By Jimmy Woulfe, Mid-West Correspondent
A RECORD bid for agricultural land has been reported in Co Clare.

Negotiations are at an advanced stage for the sale of 116 acres near Bunratty Castle for a sum believed to be in the region of €25 million.

The land is owned by local businessman Pat Maloney. He is negotiating with Tony McMahon, a well-known figure in the construction industry.

Mr McMahon is part of group of Clare businessmen who plan to seek planning permission to build an exclusive private clinic on the 116-acre site located by Bunratty on the Sixmilebridge Road.

Mr Maloney confirmed yesterday that negotiations were nearing completion. He said: “We should complete a deal in the next week.”

He confirmed that the land is agricultural and not yet zoned for development.

Mr Maloney would not discuss what kind of price was being offered for his land, but a well-placed source said a sum in the region of €25m has been offered for the land and that Mr Maloney has agreed to sell at that price.

Two other private clinics are planned for the mid-west area.

Construction work has commenced on the Limerick Private Hospital on a site at Corcanree on the Mungret Road. Property developer Shay Sweeney is investing some €100m in this hospital, due to open by December 2007.

Another clinic is planned for a 35-acre site at the Adare Manor.

Heard the proposal for the Art Cinema has run into some difficulty with the funding.

The site itself is quite large and could be a great complex if it ever gets going.

When is the Franciscans going on sale? That could be such a great addition to the city if developed right.

Major revamp planned at Colbert Station for Bus Eireann

LIMERICK’S Colbert Station is on for a major revamp-should the Limerick City Council Planning authority give the green light to a planning application lodged by Bus Eireann.

Permission is being sought for development at Colbert Station, Parnell Street, which is a protected structure.

The development will consist of demolition of existing single storey ancillary structures, removal of redundant trail tracks and public car parking to the north of the site, removal of public car parking to the west of the site, removal of bus stands, parking and staff parking to the south of the site and the provision of a new two storey bus station, comprising ticket offices, waiting areas, staff accommodation and public toilets, a direct step free link to the rail station concourse;covered access to 16 no. bus stands, staff parking and new bus entrance at Roxborough Road, all to the north site, a reconfigured and landscaped forecourt with revised vehicular access/egress, four no bus stops/shelters to the west of the site and 329 no public car parking spaces to the south of the site, together with ancillary site works.

A spokesman for Bus Eireann told the Limerick Post that the new plans were designed to facilitate customers and to improve standards.

Bus Eireann provide an excellent service from Limerick to all parts of the country and in recent years has increased its customer base significantly.

Their present facilities are somewhat dated.

Meanwhile, German retail chain Lidl have designs on a second store in Limerick.

They have made application to the planning authority for the development of a site at Clondrinagh, Ennis Road, just a few paces from Elm Motors.

The site was purchased last year by prominent local developer Robert Butler, who has also bought a slice of land on the other side of the Ennis Road. The development will consist of the demolition of existing garage and canopy and the construction of a discount foodstore incorporating an off licence (c. 1661 sq m gross floor area and 1,286 sq m net sales area), comprising of a single storey pitched roof structure and enclosed dock leveller, removable compactor, new boundary treatments and associated site development works, including new entrance, all site services, including an Envirocare P6 Treatment system, L.P.G. tank and fenced compound, the provision of 152 no car parking spaces, one no. free standing double sided internally illuminated flagpole signs, two no building mounted internally illuminated signs, at Clondrinagh.

Lidl already operate from a unit on Childer’s Road. Meanwhile, Marks and Spencer confirmed this week that they are actively pursuing a site in Limerick.

Anyone got plans for this hospital? I hadn’t even heard of it until today.

Hospitals seek to work side by side

The owner of the Limerick Private Hospital said his facility will be located about a mile from the Regional in Dooradoyle and can achieve Health Minister Mary Harney’s objective for ‘co-location’ of public and private hospitals in centres such as Limerick.

Shay Sweeney, of Blackberry Properties Ltd said if his private hospital is approved for co-location with Dooradoyle by the Health Service Executive (HSE), it would free up land on the Regional hospital campus for the development of a new maternity hospital, rather than put another private hospital there.

Mary Fitzgerald, the new chief executive officer of the €100 million Limerick Private Hospital which is under construction said yesterday the 95-bed facility will provide new standards in patient care in the Mid-West.

Chicago born Ms Fitzgerald managed the opening of the private Galway Clinic when she came to this country in 2004 and was previously responsible for 3,000 employees at the prestigious Loyola University Medical Centre in Chicago.

Ms Fitzgerald said the new Limerick Private Hospital will be operated to the standards of the Joint Commission of International Standards for Accreditation.

She said: “This is one of the foremost authorities on quality standards within the healthcare sector. In partnership with the medical community we will deliver excellent patient care in a quality-driven environment and this will drive the ethos of our hospital.”

The Limerick Private Hospital, which is located at Corcanree on the Mungret Road, will take in its first patients in December 2007 and construction of the three storey basement area, where ambulance bays will be located is at an advanced state.

The hospital will also have its own physiotherapy, laboratory and pharmacy facilities. Ms Fitzgerald said: “We will have about 300 people working in our hospital and that number does not include doctors and consultants.”

She said the new hospital will help fill the gap in private hospital care in the Mid-West and the regions.

Ms Fitzgerald said: “When you look at it more than 60% of the population of the Mid-West have private insurance. So they are looking for private facilities and we will meet that demand.”

She said there plenty of scope for the Limerick Private Hospital along with the 100 room private hospital planned for Adare Manor.

She said: “We also hope to be a provider of care for patients under the National Treatment Purchase Scheme. And in that way we will be caring for public patients. And if the need is there for any of the public hospitals to use any of our services we would welcome dealing with them also.”

She does not envisage any major problem recruiting nurses despite the current shortage.

Ms Fitzgerald said: “Many have gone abroad to work and many others in Dublin are looking for opportunities to move to places such as Limerick. This will be a state of the art hospital and giving this kind of work environment will be very attractive to nurses. We are going to set a very high standard as we did in the Galway Clinic where the bar was raised for private medicine in Ireland and we did a great job there. So I am going to take the best aspects of the Galway Clinic the best of United States health care and the best of Irish health care and we are doing this by adopting the standards of the Joint Commission of International Standards for Accreditation.”

She said the new Limerick Private Hospital will cater for patients with private and state insurance cover.

The owner of the new hospital, Limerick property developer, Shay Sweeney said their proximity to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital would make it very suitable for a link up under the ‘co-location’ plan.

He said: “If that happens they would not have to build a private hospital in Dooradoyle as we could be that co-location private hospital. If a private hospital was to be built at Dooradoyle it would cut off the availability of space to do anything else there. We are saying ‘let us be that co-location private hospital’ and use your land to build a maternity hospital which has been their vision.”

@CologneMike wrote:

Indeed our four Mid-Western local Authorities must plan together for the common good of the region. We have been very fortunate to have had an organisation such as Shannon Development. They have played a very proactive role in our region and have interacted between these bodies quite successfully.
However the situation for the immediate city itself is in the long run unworkable. I strongly believe that the County Council should have moved to Newcastle West instead of to Dooradoyle. West Limerick has been suffering population decline in recent years. It would have been a boost and would have focused the attention of the county council, to concentrate more on the rural part of the county instead of been preoccupied with the city suburbs.
I agree that the river Shannon needs to be the central starting point when planning for the future of the city is concerned. I would prefer to see the city development move up river as opposed to going further downstream like to Mungret or Coonagh. Simply because residents of Mungret and Coonagh could not easily interact with each other, without having to cross the wide river per tunnel. Whereas a not so wide river Shannon crossing between Corbally and Parteen ensures a relatively easier interaction by foot, bicyle, bus etc, etc.
The idea of city districts (Medieval, Georgian, Docklands) clearly distinguished through street furniture should be taken on board by the city council.
I would have always had considered the Clancy Strand to have seen itself as a part of the “Victorian Ennis Road / Farranshone” residential area than to be seen as an integral part of the medieval Thomondgate. Then what you suggest, the preservation of existing buildings in form of civic amenities, such as a Museum, Art Gallery etc. Would mean redefining this area away from residential, to more to cultural redevelopments. I must admit it has a certain charm to it.

Anyone care to list areas that have enough local characteristics to benefit from designated street furniture?

Agree about the development on the river, but Clare is the problem with the city going that way. I must admit the appalling land waste that exists on the Island field is depressing. It should be vibrant riverfront community, not one of the worst areas in the country (for whatever reason).

The county council seem to have little interest in actually running the county, they are far more interested in building doughnut city around the city proper. Anyhow, crucially, rather than constantly fighting amongst overselves we should get it together and find a way to make the Midwest region the most modern of the regions.

I think your optimism is misplaced, the strand is quite a historic area, the red brick houses beside the barracks, and the barracks themselves still show the bullet holes from the civil war, one of the houses being knocked is from only 50 years after the sieges. I’d be surprised if Limerick Civic Trust didn’t start showing an interest in this soon. AFAIK, Priory Park has a pretty dedicated residents group, so don’t be surprised to see plenty of objection to 49 apartments

I don’t see what exactly 4/5 storeys would do the enhance the area, or the river. Looking at how the Claddagh area in Galway in being ruined by apartment blocks I’d be nervous of anything of their type re-appearing in Limerick, especially considering how little Steamboat Quay and other apartment blocks have given the riverfront.

As soon as the Hilton(?) is built, I think the next major development on either strand will have to around the Golden Vale sites. The land here is completely underutilised, sure Golden Vale could operate as easily from a cheaper location and sell off the land for a high price? I imagine St. Michaels might be due a windfall for their corner of the bank.

@PoxyShamrok wrote:

Just wondering did anyone ever hear anymore on the proposed development on the marshs along the Condell road?

You mean in the protected wetlands? No, not even a sniff of an actual concrete plan either. Wouldn’t trust these guys as far as they should be thrown.

Has anyone seen the design for the proposed apartments by Thomond Bridge? Awful, absolutely awful. I think it’s a great idea to build the apartments and bring some life ot the area but these are incredibly ugly. Such potential on that site, it would be a shame to waste it.