THE transformation of the Shannon Free Zone over the next ten years is set to “put the years of talk in the past and get on with building some” and bring put right the underinvestment of yesteryear.
Those were the closing remarks of Ray O’Driscoll, managing director at Shannon Commercial Properties at the end of a information briefing on the developments underway set to revitalise one of Ireland’s oldest and largest business parks outside Dublin.
Outlining phase one of the redevelopment programme at a Shannon Chamber event for business leaders in Dromoland Castle Hotel recently, Mr O’Driscoll said: “We are addressing the historic underinvestment at the Free Zone in stages, commencing with major demolitions, new builds and refurbishment, as we believe a cluster-type development is more impactful.”
Plans for the over €21 million, phase-one redevelopment of a 12-acre site at the Zone include: the construction of a 40,000sqft Grade A office block and a new 30,000sqft advance technology manufacturing unit, at a combined cost of €10 million; A €4 million upgrade and development of the existing Boart building, which is a 100,000sqft warehousing unit adjoining the airport, and a €1.5 million upgrade at Shannon Airport House and the adjacent Universal House.
Among work undertaken to-date on the redevelopment are: the demolition of three former manufacturing buildings which are now complete; Work has begun on a €6 million 67,000 ft2 technology manufacturing facility at Shannon Free Zone East for GE Measurement & Control, and a €1.3 million refurbishment of a 56,000sqft office and warehousing facility located in the Shannon Free Zone West is now complete.
Mr O’Driscoll said that business park already hosts 120 companies in a diverse range of activities.
“It has been a major contributor to the local economy and this first phase of what will be a major, ongoing investment programme is an imperative to attracting major investment and jobs to the area.”
Fiona Reilly, IDA’s regional business development executive also told attendees that there has been a 30 per cent uplift in the number of projects to the region, while Enterprise Ireland’s Jerry Moloney said that providing incubation space at the Free Zone would be its defining strength for high-potential SMEs.
Shannon Chamber’s president Kevin Thompstone, welcomed and endorsed the fact that Shannon is very much open for business.
“Shannon already has a diverse range of sectors in situ and now, with new facilities coming on stream that will be built to a very high specification, Shannon Commercial Properties is equipping Shannon with an even greater set of competencies to attract new business to the region.”
