Paris Jack
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@PoxyShamrock wrote:
Speaking of developments on that side of the city. My uncle who is a tower-crane operator was telling me that up to 12 cranes will be located on the Parkway Valley Shopping Centre. There was a two for a while and during the week the third crane was put in place so it looks like this development is going to be big.
It’s a pity work like this isn’t happening on Patrick St., Rutland St and Ellen St. Anybody know any more on The Opera Centre? Things aren’t looking too good at the moment.
Hmm….do you think there is the natural community to service all of these shopping centres? I don’t know the population of that side of the city….but it feels somewhat like they are expecting a mass influx of people from all over Ireland to move to Limerick!?:confused: Although….I must admit I have heard that many people are moving to Limerick….so I dunno really?:confused:
There doesn’t appear to be any movement on the Opera Centre at all, but then again you’d know more about this than I would. How’s everything coming along with that apartment complex beside the Hilton?
@justnotbothered wrote:
Afaik, there’s plans to knock the Watergate Flats, it’s mentioned somewhere in the reams of articles about the FitzGerald report.
The entire area is a mess, and should probably be started again. Of course, this being ireland, we won’t get anyone with a bold enough unified vision for the place.
Great news!:D About time too! Watergate flats are right out of dickens…:( They should clear that entire area and build some decent town houses there!:)
@shanekeane wrote:
i dont see what putting new streets is going to do really, the whole place is a train wreck. sometimes i think they should just nuke limerick and start again. considering the amount of development that has taken place around that area recently, why is the abbey river even less central now than it used to be? having constructed an entire quay along the abbey, you’d think they could have bothered to make it a place where people might like to stroll and integrate it into the city centre. it truly had the capacity to be a cosy riverside strip like something in amsterdam
I agree, that whole place is a complete and utter mess! Very depressing sight…:( The entire area should be flattened and built anew! Bring new life and confidence to the people who have to live there. This is not 1907!
I like how you think Shane, f*****g nuke the lot!!!:D Seriously though, some people in Limerick really need to get with the times and get over the past! If you want a new and vibrant city that you feel good/happy and excited about while strolling down the street then just get on and build it!!! It will take a great deal of time and efford, of course, but it will be worth it in the end! After all, that’s exactly what they did right here in Paris!!!
More public spaces, lots more landscaping/trees etc,… basically give people back the desire…the pleasure to want to be in the city centre! As much as I admire (from a history perspective I mean) O’Connell St… I often wonder what it would be like to take away one entire side… Sound crazy? Double the width… kinda like O’Connell St. in Dublin…hmmm…. Well, the way they’re going at the moment you might as well! Maybe it’s my imagination here but is the rot ever creeping up O’Connell St…????
CologneMike wrote:Windmill House (Retail, Apartment, Office Development)Strolled around the Dock road and had a closer look at the Windmill House development. It is unusual to see a building in Limerick been flanked by flights of steps as the terrain of the city centre is flat. The grey brick used helps it distinguish itself from both it’s neighbours (i.e. red brick). I wonder if Paris Jack could warm to grey brick? ]
I dunno Mike, I still can’t make my mind up yet??? One minute I like the grey bricks… and the next I think this whole developement looks quite grotty and cheap…hmm…I’ll have to give it some more thought… I think at the times I do like it my eyes are only relieved to be spared from that hideous red/brown brick rubbish they seem to be totally obsessed with in Limerick! But believe me I’ve seen much worse… These buildings are head and shoulders above that manure they call Richmond Court/House and Mahon House! They’re just unbelievably cheap and sickening to look at!!!:eek: 😡 More crap for the wrecking ball IMO!!! Should be simply blown away!!! Hurricane season should take good care of that eh?:D
But thanks for the pics CologneMike! Were you getting the evil-eye from some dude in the car?:D Who’s the loony with the camera eh?;) 😀
@shanekeane wrote:
i think the plans for the redevelopment of limerick are the very minimum of what needs to be done to the city. i also think that they are good ideas, every one of them. arthur’s quay sc is a monstrosity, as are the blocks with penny’s and dunnes stores, and cruises street is cheap looking. william street should be renovated to restore something of its georgian character, but i dont see why it should be completely demolished – only on the lower end where all those brown brick buildings make you want to vomit when you look at them. Also, i would suggest that the sarsfield building ought not be knocked down as it’s quite pretty, and arthur’s quay park should remain but be improved in appearance. Consider that if that sarsfield building is knocked down, every block facing onto arthur’s quay park would be demolished, thereby allowing the fronts of all the new buildings to face onto the park. if some of the trees where taken out, and the road eliminated, it would take on the character of a plaza in front of what will, presumably, be showpiece modern buildings for limerick city centre. in particular the site of the dunnes building offers the opportunity for something exceptional. if there if a concern about an excess of retail space, i would suggest that be the location for the science museum which is proposed for dublin. i would also suggest the demolition of the block opposite brown thomas (which should itself either be demolished or improved in appearance), but that nothing be built in its place, so that you would have one of these so-called ‘european’ open spaces right in the centre of town. this square would be flanked by 1. the new buildings currently on bedford row, 2. the improved facade of brown thomas, 3. whatever is built to replace the roches stores block, 4. the franciscan church. seems like a no-brainer to me.
I think you have made some good points here Shane, I, too, believe much more has to be done… but I do like what they’ve done with the old Savoy Complex/Bedford Row, etc. The Marriott does look quite exciting and is desperately needed for the city centre! But I’m very disappointed with the overall design of the Hilton – don’t get me wrong, it’s great that a world class brand such as the Hilton Group have now come to Limerick… but who on earth is responsible for this architectural monstrosity!? Whoever designed this building should be put behind bars for cruelty!!! There was/is so much potential on this plot… oh well, it’s done now so they’ll just have to make the best of it eh? Maybe they should build a skybridge from Riverpoint to the Hilton huh?]centre[/B] to Limerick City huh? Something the city seems to be missing… It might be interesting to put that to the vote actually!?
Mr. Shanekeane, have you put the submit button on automatic, or what? I mean – WTF?:eek: Has it reached nine already?;) 😀
@vkid wrote:
Would be nice to see the stonework on Barringtons Hospital cleaned. Thought that was part of the original proposal for it but maybe it will happen yet!
“Any idea who those retail units are going to?” – Paris Jack
No but I did hear it was booked out. Not sure how true that is yet though.
Lets just hope it is true vkid! That would be excellent news for the city centre!
I agree, they should really get down to cleaning that stonework on Barringtons Hospital! It certainly needs to be brightened up and brought more in line with the new section eh? That limestone looks very good actually!
@Tuborg wrote:
It looks like Fordmount developments have a bit of a fetish for glass!
Apparently the 10 retail outlets are due to be ready for fit out in September, they should provide a welcome boost to the city centre!Thank christ Fordmount don’t have a fetish for red bricks mate! Enough already! All credit to Michael Daly for at least having the guts and imagination… for raising the bar here and bringing a real sense of style and vibrancy to the city centre… not to mention breaking away from that stagnant, boring, mindless, mundane red brick crap!!! I like a guy who at least has the ability to think outside the box… and look at the bigger picture! Apparently, Michael Daly does this very well indeed! Give this guy a cigar!:D
Any idea who those retail units are going to?
@CologneMike wrote:
Marriott Hotel – Savoy Complex
Before I get another bubble burst, the Hotel is opened and work-in-progress on the retail units is quite advanced. The façade to the Marriott is very attractive and gives this part of the city a little cosmopolitan feel to it. The restored warehouse and the Hotel side by side are quite a contrast!
The lane at the rear of the hotel has great potential for development (Shannon Street). The garden feature on the third floor is done very well. Image 5 and 6 taken at the junction of Bedford Row. I think both the Savoy complex and the Harvey’s Quay complex across the road complement each other.
I have to agree with all of your comments here CologneMike, that does look very nice indeed!:) That’s more like it and a job well done! All I can say is a lot more of the same for the city centre please!!!:D Did you take the pics yourself?
This gets a big thumbs up from me!!!
@tfarmer wrote:
True but id imagine that the surrounding area ie the dockland harbour (if you could call it that) would be developed. Also and from a space point of view i dont think there would be enough room to fit a large concert dome such as those seen internationally. In the end of the day thats just my opinion it remains to be seen what they actually have in mind.
How about the Arthurs Quay (including the park at the back) site? I don’t know what plans they have for this plot once AQ is demolished but this would be a brilliant location for a concert arena! I’m not saying that Limerick City Centre only needs a concert arena, of course not, but as we’re on the subject I think this particular plot would be just awesome! It’s smack right in the middle of town!!!
I don’t know if you are familiar with the Brixton Academy, tfarmer, in Brixton, south London? But anyway, the Academy doesn’t appear all that big on the outside but it’s just massive inside! It’s also quite similarly situated on a street corner like AQ. I skip over there from time-to-time with some mates and they have all the biggest acts in the world playing there on a regular basis. It’s got a great atmosphere and a real buzz about the place, you know? There are gigs there almost every night. My point, the Brixton Academy would fit perfectly on the AQ’S plot. So, it’s still possible to have such a venue in Limerick City Centre!
But you know, even if it had to be in the suburbs then I suppose that would be alright, just as long as the transport (if you didn’t want to drive) was good. Isn’t it amazing, we somehow always end up in the suburbs eh?
@PoxyShamrock wrote:
The food is lovely but i felt the main course was small (but very filling), Restaurant is nice and airy plus the windows give you the feeling you’re on a ship or something.
Sounds real nice, I’ll definitely check it out when I get over there.
@PoxyShamrock wrote:
Sorry to burst your bubble CologneMike but The Absolute Hotel has been open since February/March. I was there for a meal in April.
That’s actually true – you’ve been BUSTED CologneMike!!!;)
That white (grey?) cladding looks pretty okay, that’s not a bad looking building… but why in God’s name didn’t they do the entire hotel the same way:confused: 😡 What’s with the red bricks???:mad: Arrrrghhhh!!!:mad: Of course I’m assuming that those red bricks are part of the hotel:D
Hey PoxyShamrock, what’s the food like there?
@tfarmer wrote:
Something like this i think would be a prefect location for it.
Interesting alright tfarmer… but I’d still rather see a boating Marina and real luxury apartments there. It’s just perfect for it! That way people can really enjoy the experience of living on the Shannon all year round, don’t you think? I’m very much in favour of a concert arena for the city centre but not on the water! Surely there are enough adequate plots within the city centre itself to put such a potentially fantastic project!?
@Tuborg wrote:
Im beginning to lose track of all these masterplans that are being dreamt up, each one bigger and bolder than the last! We’ve had the Docklands regeneration plan (going nowhere fast!), the Opera centre (still in limbo!) the Aurthurs Quay/Liddy Street area, the new iconic/landmark structure for the city and now this! Theres nothing wrong with stimulating debate but you would have to wonder will the proposal ever get off the ground? is it too radical for Limerick?
Certainly the idea of demolishing Cruises Street is an intriguing one, the units there are quite small for modern retailing requirements and its long term future is probably uncertain. Its incredible to think that the lifespan of certain developments is now so short, Cruises Street only opened in 1992!
I totally agree with you here Tuborg, it seems like it’s all turning into some kind of big sick joke at times….:confused: All of these “masterplans” and “landmarks” too radical for Limercik? Could be!? But I’ll tell you one thing, they better pull their finger out real fast and start working on Limerick City CENTRE! It’s in a shocking state!:(
Opera Centre or no Opera Centre, Docklands regeneration masterplan or whatever, they need to start asking themselves some serious questions down there at city hall! It’s imperative that the city centre is prioritized, if not, you could very well be looking at the worst ghetto in Ireland within ten years!
More and more people/businesses are relocating to the suburbs…and for good reason! If they really want people to work and live in the city centre then they seriously need to stop talking bollocks and do what needs to be done to achieve this! There’s no point in talking the big talk all the time, the SPIN will only go so far, eventually there needs to be some hard and deliberate action! IMO if you announce it, then fucking build it!!!
Yes, it’s hard to comprehend the fact that an entire street that opened in 1992 will/could be completely demolished!:eek: And make way for what? More of the same? Personally I don’t care if they flatten the whole block, it’s been a complete and utter failure, but I dunno, this is just more proof that there are some very serious problems in Limerick City Centre!:(
For demolition: IMO anyway…
-Brown Thomas/Todds building (disgraceful piece of crap)
-Bank of Ireland (ugly rubbish. whole block should go)
-Penneys (what the hell is this supposed to be?)
-Dunnes Stores, Sarsfield St. (embarrassing, major eyesore, disgraceful)
-Arthurs Quay (yet another failure., prime location for a real landmark building/structure)
-Sarsfield House (just ugly and useless)
-Red Brick crap beside Riverpoint (disgusting)There are more, but if this lot can be cleared and decent quality buildings with at least some architectural merit put in their place then you’ll be definitely heading in the right direction!:) 😀
@vkid wrote:
There’s a good image on the front of the Leader today but i’ve no scanner. Lots of tall/glassy/shiny buildings
Main points are
– New civic and cultural center with European style open spaces including a floating concert arena(?), swimming baths, waterways center, pedestrian bridge and water features
– A new high rise business district at Bishops Quay to compliment The Riverpoint
– A new city village with redevelopment of the Watergate flats area and redesign of the Milk Market area
– A retail district to include the demolition of the Cruises street area
– Full Georgian city regeneration with the development of winter gardens and quality mews at the rear of buildings with high quality residential in the upper 2 floors and basements with retail/office on ground and first floorsWill be no loss to see the back of Sarsfield house. It is planned to be replaced by a glass tower based loosely on the idea of the Beetham tower in Manchester.
Seems this all could be part of the earlier talk of demolishing the Pennys/Debenhams/Arthurs Quay/Liddy Street area’s and now also includes the Cruises street area. I assume the opera Center will be worked in there somehow.
Interesting to see new(ish) structures like Arthurs Quay and Cruises Street being demolished..all less than 20 years old. Same with the Savoy in recent times. 80’s developments were never pretty in Limerick anyway so no loss imo.Interesting stuff alright…hmmm… Is this all just a proposal, or what? You mentioned Sarsfield House… Is this the building directly behind Arthurs Quay? Wasn’t it a tax office, or something like that? Now that is one ugly building so I hope this is the one you’re talking about here!? For sure, Sarsfield House will be no loss! If they’re planning on putting a building “based loosely” on the Beetham Tower in Manchester will it be of similar height? I believe the Beetham Tower is something like 48-50 storeys, right? The Beetham Tower is not a beautiful building by any means, but it is an interesting building alright. I think the Hilton Hotel group have a branch there, and it’s also residential. It would be very nice indeed if they put a tower somewhere on this scale down there… now that would raise a few eyebrows eh?:D
Cruises Street will be no loss either, I mean, lets face it, it has never worked! It hasn’t lasted 20 years and it’s ready for the chop already! And they demolished a 200-year-old hotel for this!:mad: Stupid arseholes!!!:mad:
Yes, a new high rise business district would be very chic indeed! If it’s done right of course. That’s a really good idea actually.:)
A floating concert arena? Where? Well, it does sound nice…on a quite evening out and all that…but I just can’t see Metallica ripping into Master of Puppets down there, can you?:D Now don’t get me wrong, I do think it’s a very nice idea… but I would absolutely love to see a proper full size concert arena in Limerick City. Ask yourself, when any international acts come to Ireland, where do they play? It’s always Dublin, right? When they come to England they go all over the place i.e London, Manchester, Birmingham, etc. So, why not Limerick? If Limerick City could build something fitting of international acts then it would be just amazing! Think of the boost to local businesses it would/could make in the city centre alone i.e Hotels, B+Bs, food outlets, bars, nightclubs, etc, etc. And why not? It can be done! They need to think outside of the box, bigger and better and look at the real picture here! As tfarmer said in his post, Dolans as the only place where bands can come and play in Limerick City is just not good enough! He’s so right!
@Irishjon25 wrote:
This is The Unicorn today.
Minus the pool table 🙁
Oh thanks for the pics Irishjon, it’s so nice to actually “see” the old place again!:) It does look nice.
Pity about the pool table though eh? That’s too bad:(
@tfarmer wrote:
Yeah but i dont think thats just limerick thats just the way ireland has become in general. The best thing to do in ireland is not go out that often and if you do know your surroundings and the ‘type’ of people your surrounded by if that makes sense. Living in limerick i can atestify this is the way to go. I don’t go out in limerick at night for this very reason besides the last time i did i was treated to a guy spewing up his evenings meal after a hearty round of drinking on the street..Emerald isle my ass.
Hummm….didn’t realise things were that bad!? But then again, when people are talking about it on the continent then you know you’ve got a problem, right?:o What the hell is the matter with these dickheads anyway? They say they’re proud to be Irish then eh? Jaysus give me a break!!!:mad: Brainless, spineless and effin useless!!!:mad:
It’s coming to something when you can’t even go out for a pint without having to put up with stupid aresholes like these!!!:mad: Well, I’ve got a great remedy right here in my back pocket for scum like that let me tell ya!!!;)
“Emerald isle my ass” Nice one tfarmer!;) 😀
@Irishjon25 wrote:
It is indeed the same premises PJ.
The Unicorn bar refurbished recently and has appeared to have taken most of the patronage in the area.
Thank you Irishjon25! 🙂 Can’t believe the Unicorn bar is still there… That sure takes me back…:D
