Limerick Regeneration – What You Need to Know
The Limerick Regeneration Scheme
The “Limerick 2030 – An Economic and Spatial Plan for Limerick” was unveiled mid-June by Minister for the Environment John Hogan, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Minister of State for Housing and Planning Jan O’Sullivan.
The €250 million plan is due to be delivered over a 15-17 year time scale and features some transformative changes to the familiar City Centre.
Priority is being attached to the Opera Site, the Waterfront and the Arthur’s Quay area, which have been identified as being at the “heart” of the City centre
and key to attracting new business activity.
So what are the key economic changes that you need to know?
• Positioning Limerick as a competitive knowledge economy.
• An outstanding environment for starting new businesses.
• Facilitating conditions for long-term economic growth.
…and the key spatial changes…
• Repositioning the City Centre as the premier regional shopping destination.
• Establishing a unique tourism.
• Improving the quality of housing on offer in the City Centre.
• Retaining young people by providing learning opportunities in association with UL, LIT and Mary Immaculate College.
What will happen to the City Centre?
• A “World Class” Waterfront.
• A “Limerick Cultural Centre”.
• Transformation of the three main streets (O’Connell Street, Catherine Street and Henry Street).
• A City Plaza.
How will we get around?
• Wider pavements, crossing points and a “network” of public squares.
• On-street parking will be improved.
• Connections between UL and the City Centre will be improved for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.
If the plan achieves the desired results of rejuvenating the economy and changing public perception of Limerick, it is estimated that there is the potential to generate 12,000 FTE jobs in the Limerick area, 5,000 of these in the City alone.