New waterside quarter planned for Limerick

AN EXTENSION of Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre to include apartments, plus the removal of the tax office and former tourist information centre.

These are among the proposals from the council to create “a new waterfront quarter” for Limerick city centre.

A far-reaching strategy for the future of the Arthur’s Quay area has been published by the local authority in a move described by Mayor John Moran as key to creating “a more liveable, prosperous and healthy city.”

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Three visions for the future of the riverside site - which also includes University of Limerick’s new city centre campus - have been put forward by council.

And the public are being invited to inspect these plans and have their say on them before a decision is made on which one will go forward.

The first of three options the council is looking at is what it is calling the “business as usual” approach where there are no interventions at all from the authority, and the various groups which own the land around Arthur’s Quay Park can develop independently.

“The ‘do nothing’ approach will not necessarily harm Limerick’s rich heritage but it will also do nothing to enhance it,” council has warned.

The other two options proposed by council focus on a redesign of the Arthur’s Quay area and either the remodelling of the buildings there or their extension.

Under the second blueprint, Honan’s Quay would be closed to traffic, while viable alternative options will be looked at to transform the old tourist office, which stands in dereliction at the front of Arthur’s Quay Park.

Sarsfield House would be removed, and replaced with a larger park, providing a “gateway” for the city centre.

In the second blueprint, Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre would remain unchanged - but could be redeveloped inside to provide for bigger shopping units, and residential at the upper levels.

The final plan envisages the total removal of the tourist office “to allow a strong visual connection” between the gateway space where the tax office would have been, and the new riverside park.

As for the shopping centre, a major expansion is proposed here on its western side.

"This would provide the opportunity to deliver active frontage onto the public square and park. Retail/hospitality can animate the ground floor with residential accommodation overlooking the park," council has said.

Limerick City and County Council is inviting people to have their say on the redevelopment of Arthur's Quay between now and Friday, November 1.

For more information on making a submission, please telephone 061-556000.

A public consultation drop-in event will take place on Thursday, October 17 from 1pm to 7pm in the UL City Centre campus in the old Dunnes Stores at Sarsfield Street.

Here, visuals of how a newly-redesigned Arthur's Quay would look will be available for the public to inspect.