High-rise student halls suggested for new road in Limerick

MAYOR John Moran has floated the idea of having high-rise student apartments along a proposed new avenue linking Moyross to the rest of the city's northside.

Limerick City and County Council is planning to cut between Old Cratloe Road through Woodview into the regeneration estate for the project, codenamed University Avenue.

Despite the fact the local authority said the 650m road is a key piece of infrastructure for the northside, it never came before councillors due to fierce local opposition.

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As part of his mayoral programme, the first citizen wants plans for this link revitalised, and believes student housing can run alongside it.

He said: “It may very well be that we should be having student housing. We should be having it with higher density than the type of housing we have used traditionally out in Castletroy.

It’s low density housing, it should really belong and be used for families.”

Through the Arthur’s Quay framework programme, new ideas for the whole area, including the University of Limerick (UL) city campus at the former Dunnes Stores are being encouraged.

He believes the old Dunnes Stores building should encompass some accommodation or office space - something college bosses have not planned for as things stand.

“What is the right use of that site which is of course an amazing site on the river? That’s what I want the Arthur's Quay framework to consider. Maybe it should be student housing, but my gut reaction tells me - if you put student housing there, it’s not on a transport node. It’s a great view. But it’d be a great view for a hotel, for regular accommodation or offices,” Mayor Moran said.

He said given the success of the 1BQ building at Bishop’s Quay on the riverfront - now housing Verizon’s offices - people are looking at the quays differently.

“Now we have 1BQ and we see the skyline differently, maybe we should think differently on that building then we are currently and engage with UL about that.

A change in planning approach is needed away from developer-led to what Limerick needs, the mayor said.

He gave the example of building up industry, retail and housing to justify the building of public transport infrastructure like rail stations.