Businessman reveals €3.5m plan for Limerick town ahead of public meeting

A PUBLIC meeting has been organised in Bruff for this Tuesday evening over the council-owned former Bank of Ireland "still standing empty" amid a plan for a community hub for the building in the town.

A local businessman has big plans for the site which he says "can alleviate this problem, provide a much better amenity and town centre for the benefit of all of the community".

The plan would include a convenience store, a carpark, apartments and a community space.

Councillors backed a proposal over two years ago to turn the listed building, which was bought by the council, into a remote working hub. A grant of €250,000 was received from the Department of Rural and Community Development in December 2022.

Cllr Brigid Teefy asked for a progress report in March 2023 at a Cappamore-Kilmallock Municipal District meeting. The reply from the council gave an estimated timeframe of 12 to 18 months for the project.

Mayor Gerald Mitchell told Limerick Live that there have been no works carried out and that the building was shown recently by the council to a prospective buyer "who wasn’t interested". This is not the same businessman who now has a plan for the site.

“I am very disappointed, together, I assume, with my fellow councillors that this (remote working hub) didn’t go ahead, because we supported it 100%,” said Mr Mitchell, who contacted local businessman James Beechinor to see if he had any interest in buying the former bank to try and progress matters.

“Mr Beechinor owns the buildings on either side of the bank thus enabling him to come up with a solution. He came up with a plan for a three-storey building with a convenience store on the ground floor and apartments on the other floors beside the former bank," Mr Mitchell continued.

"He will then lease the old bank to the community council free of charge and put in place over 40 town centre car parking spaces which the town is crying out for. The main entrance to the car park is from the Main Street and an exit is onto Sycamore Drive.

"The plans also includes pedestrian access for people living in Sycamore Drive and over to the playground and the soccer pitch. It would open it all up,” said Mr Mitchell, who arranged a meeting with a senior council official and Mr Beechinor. See artist's impression of the plan below.

“The council official was very straight, forthcoming and very positive about the plan. It looks very attractive to me to solve a lot of problems in Bruff and to satisfy the concerns of all sectors of the community. It will see a new building, convenience shop, apartments and car parking spaces for all the people of Bruff and surrounds. I’d like to see this progressing before I retire,” said Mr Mitchell.

Mr Beechinor meanwhile, said it would be an estimated €3m to €3.5m investment in Bruff to develop this site with the former bank to become a community hub for the town.

“It will be leased to the community council rent free on the strict understanding, and legally binding, that it must remain as a facility for the community. It could be a meeting place for every group in the parish - Men’s Shed, ICA, AA meetings,   Boy Scouts / Girl Guides, a creche, playschool, community council headquarters, a tourist information office etc. 

"The €250,000 grant can then be spent on doing it up. The most important thing for me is that it will be a facility for all of the community,” said Mr Beechinor, who was born and raised in Bruff and currently owns seven shops throughout County Limerick.

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“I am passionate about giving something back to Bruff. I went to school in Bruff and started out my working life at Meany’s petrol pumps on Bruff’s Main Street just down from Glynn’s takeaway. Bruff has been very good to me all down through the years since I started out in business and it would be a beautiful and beneficial development for the town.

“The shop would employ 25 people and the car park is for everybody’s use. The bank is a listed building and fortunately I have previous experience of working on and redeveloping a protected structure so I would have no difficulty in working with the council to satisfy any concerns they may have with this project.

"This development will be there for current and future generations to use and enjoy and one we could all as a community be very proud of,” said Mr Beechinor.

Limerick City and County Council has been contacted for comment.