THE €250 million Limerick 2030 plan launched by Environment Minister Phil Hogan last week has the potential to create 5,000 new jobs for the city and 12,000 more for the region over the next 17 years.
The strategy aims to considerably change the infrastructure of the city centre and deliver a new vision for Limerick as a leading centre for commercial investment.
The Limerick 2030 plan focuses on three main elements – an economic strategy, a spatial strategy and a marketing plan.
The spatial strategy features a number of ambitious projects aimed at giving Limerick city centre a dramatic facelift to boost its appeal as a shopping destination and to attract new investment.
These transformational changes include a renaissance of Limerick’s waterfront, a new ‘City Square’ at the heart of the shopping district, the creation of a ‘Limerick Cultural Centre’ and a new City Centre Higher Education campus to include facilities from the University of Limerick, Limerick Institute of Technology and Mary Immaculate College.
The plan also includes a major restoration of Limerick’s Georgian Quarter and the renewal of Colbert Station creating better links with city centre facilities through a new public transport interchange.
The plans propose to demolish Sarsfield House, which City and County economic director Tom Enright described as “an unattractive building”, and rehouse the revenue commissioners at a new office development on the Opera Centre site.
Limerick 2030 also features a comprehensive economic plan aimed at creating employment and attracting investment, and a €350,000 marketing plan to be announced in the coming weeks.
City and County Manager Conn Murray said that the plan “embraces and builds on the rich tapestry of an embattled yet battle-hardened people and seeks to position Limerick to deliver that which has long been fought for, and, that is a sustainable, inclusive, energetic and innovative Limerick, a place where you want your children to grow up and for us to grow old.
“Today we set out our vision and our ambition for the revitalisation of our city, our county and our region. Today we declare and demonstrate our commitment to a united Limerick and a united voice.”
Minister Jan O’Sullivan said: “There are sometimes pivotal times in the life of a person or of a place when there is a definite change that has a transforming effect. I believe this is happening for Limerick and the plan we are launching today is a significant marker of that change.
“There is a new energy in Limerick, something I haven’t experienced before in my years in public life. This plan will harness and focus that energy and I look forward to working with all stakeholders and the people of Limerick to make it a reality.”
In addition to the launch of the Limerick 2030 plan, a ‘Charter of Convergence and Cohesion’ was also signed today by the heads of the principal agencies in the Mid West region.
The charter sets out a series of commitments which at the centre contains a resolution to working in a collaborative way for the benefit of Limerick.
Limerick 2030 will form part of the Limerick City and County Development plans and will be subject to public consultation.
The €250 million plan is part of a wider and more ambitious €750 million Limerick Project to deliver improved economic infrastructure including new third level educational facilities, new port facilities along the Shannon Estuary, and new infrastructure at Shannon Airport over the next two decades.
