University of Limerick reveals future plans for its city centre campus

UNIVERSITY of Limerick (UL) bosses have revealed plans for the future of its campus in the city centre.

The college purchased the Sarsfield Street premises, which once housed a branch of Dunnes Stores, back in 2019.

But that sale was mired in controversy, with senior executives at UL left facing questions from the Dail's Public Accounts Committee.

It comes after it emerged the college paid €3m over the market value of the landmark property in Honan's Quay, which had previously lain idle since 2008 when Dunnes Stores closed at its site just off Sarsfield Bridge.

In an email to the campus community, the acting president of UL Prof Shane Kilcommins acknowledged the "understandable concerns" over the acquisition of the site.

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It is on this basis, he said, the college's governing authority "has been very clear that it does not expect to see proposals for large scale investments presented for the first time when they are being asked to approve them."

However, UL's executive committee have brought forward a concept proposal for the site for discussion.

"In consultation with leadership of the school of medicine, and in parallel with an alternative campus-based approach, the proposal envisages the relocation of the existing school of mto a fully redeveloped, high-quality facility at Honan’s Quay," revealed Prof Kilcommins.

"The concept was presented for the purposes of initiating early engagement with the governing authority on the idea of investigating the feasibility of locating the school of medicine in the city and redeveloping the site for that purpose," the acting president added in his letter to staff and students.

The governing authority is being asked to decide if a business case should be prepared to see if the idea can progress.

Labour TD Conor Sheehan welcomed the news, and praised the proposal for "tangible investment into the city centre campus".

"This is key for the future sustainability of our city centre. A medical school in the city centre would be transformational for Limerick and it also needs to be followed by investment into city centre student accomodation," the Limerick City TD said.

The move comes against the backdrop of UL being tasked by government to deliver a new undergraduate medical programme, with its first students due in September 2026.

As things stand, Prof Kilcommins wrote the existing on-campus medical school building will not have the capacity to accommodate the increase in students.

"We have identified two options to increase medical education capacity; extend the existing medical school on campus or build a new medical school at Honan’s Quay to accommodate all existing and new school of medicine programmes and we are currently assessing both options," he wrote.

While UL has already committed to part-funding the expansion of the school of medicine at the Castletroy campus, the acting president stressed relocating the entire department to the city centre is a much larger project.

"For it to be financially feasible a funding application, plus other borrowings, will be required," he said.

Prof Kilcommins added it is an "inescapable fact" that progress made in Sarsfield Street falls short of UL's initial ambitions for the area.

At present, just 20% of the building is in use at present, as a facility for students of UL's school of architecture, a presentation area, plus a Citizens’ Innovation Lab which is a joint initiative with Limerick City and County Council.

Prof Kilcommins added: "It must also be recognised that the significant redevelopment potential of the site both as a city campus and as a driver of socio-economic regeneration will never be realised by maintaining the status quo. Despite the financial impairment, there is no doubt that Honan’s Quay is one of the most strategically located sites in the city and it is incumbent on the university to seriously consider its intentions for the site."

He stated it was because the view of the executive committee that the college should consider how the building be put into substantive use that this concept to locate the school of medicine was brought to the governing authority.

Prof Kilcommins explained that developing a preliminary business case owuld be the first step which needs to be taken to adhere the State's infrastructure guidelines, which are designed to ensure public projects are value for money.

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"I am pleased that there was a positive and engaging discussion on the merits of the concept, which in my view has the potential to achieve our ambitions to enhance the school of medicine’s capacity for growth. for a substantive presence in the city, to play our part in its future growth, and moreover also has the potential to investigate the possibility of State support," the acting president continued.

"We will now further engage with Limerick City and County Council, the Higher Education Authority, and other key stakeholders to determine the feasibility of securing funding in the context of this proposal or any alternative opportunities for the site," he wrote.

The next step for the university is to appoint a project team that will ensure that all appropriate infrastructure guidelines are followed, all academic and clinical requirements are considered, and to prepare the business case and any funding application. 

The proposals, he wrote, are "at a very exploratory stage".