Work has begun on the first of three Limerick 2030 projects which will see the inner city transformed into a living and working city centre.
Branded as the largest commercial property development programme outside of the capital the first Limerick 2030 project will see 100,000 sq ft of offices built on Henry Street. The Gardens International Office is the first speculative build under the programme, which overall will see over €500m worth of investment in creating state-of-the-art office, retail, residential, education and enterprise space in Limerick.
The wider programme is aimed at attracting 5,000 new jobs in Limerick over the next five years, with ‘The Gardens’ building set to accommodate 750 posts and support 150 jobs during construction. Work on the project began on Tuesday, with a predicted completion date of late 2018.
Limerick 2030 Chairman Denis Brosnan said: “This is a very important day for Limerick 2030, for Limerick and the wider region. This will be the catalyst for a new era of growth for Limerick as this is the first in a wider programme that is going to transform Limerick into a dynamic living and working city capable of competing with the leading destinations in Europe for inward investment.
“Limerick, with high-end projects like this, will be the best placed and most competitive English speaking city in the EU for inward investment. We will have state-of-the-art space in a city that has been revitalised over the last three years or so but remains an extremely cost-effective location for operating international business in and from.”
Said Conn Murray Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council: “We have already seen significant job creation and over €1.3 billion invested in Limerick over the last three years with the fastest growing employment rate in the country. The Gardens will now trigger a new wider programme of investment in infrastructure to bring that record period in Limerick to another level.
“Limerick is rejuvenated, it is attracting a lot of international attention and now we will be able to offer what FDI and indigenous investors mostly look for – inner city locations in a vibrant city where people can work and, indeed, live. This will be a landmark project for Limerick and in time we will look back on it as pivotal moment for the city and region.”
The Henry Street site was part constructed during the boom but has remained a shell development since work ceased there several years ago. The five-floor development will be suitable for a range of uses and will be Limerick’s first city centre LEED Gold certified office scheme.
The new design comes complete with a structural glazed facade to provide a high level of environmental control within the office space, minimizing solar gain and reducing imposed air-handling energy requirements. It also includes automated fully glazed entrance doors, natural stone flooring, a turnstile security system, car parking spaces, cycle bays and other services.
