THE doors were officially opened on the first major build project in the biggest Irish commercial property development programme undertaken under the auspices of a local authority as Gardens International in Limerick was unveiled.
The 112,000 sq. ft development, which was opened by Michael Noonan, T.D. in the presence of Mayor of the City and County of Limerick James Collins, has been completed to tenant fit-out stage after an 18 month, €17.6million build. The project has been built to LEED Gold standards, which is among the top international benchmarks for sustainability.
Speaking at the launch, Mayor of the City and County Council James Collins said the level of ambition shown by going for top international design and build standards is a statement about where Limerick has arrived at today.
“It’s a project that is a motif for a new Limerick. We’ve built the very best because we want to attract the best. It’s a build that respectfully and brilliantly merges old and new. It has raised the bar, created a remarkable new structure and standard here in the centre of Limerick,” said Mayor James Collins.
Limerick Twenty Thirty commenced the development in 2017 at the site, which stood half built for almost a decade after work had stalled mid-flight following the economic crash.
The development is a striking example of ‘old meets new’ as the project mixes the stunning architecture of the early 19th century Roches Hanging Gardens, which included roof-top gardens of exotic fruits; the Mercantile Building; the former General Post Office developed there a century later and a gleaming new build to the rear to form a brilliant architectural blend that sets a new standard for the city and region.
Deputy Michael Noonan described the official opening as “an important and proud day for Limerick”.
“As Minister of Finance at the time, I was delighted to give my support to the Limerick Twenty Thirty project. Today validates the commitment and courage shown by Chairman Denis Brosnan, by Limerick City and County Council Chief Executive Conn Murray and others,” he said.
Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council Conn Murray said, “Limerick Twenty Thirty was one of a number of ambitious outputs from our Limerick 2030 Economic and Spatial Plan unveiled in 2013. We identified a number of key deliverables in that, including creating 12,000 jobs over the lifetime of the plan. We’ve already achieved that in Limerick in the five years since and Limerick Twenty Thirty is about ensuring we continue to build on that.”
Limerick Twenty Thirty CEO David Conway said, “This is a proud moment for our team at Limerick Twenty Thirty. In a short time, we’ve come along way. We’ve committed to, and delivered on, developing a world-class office development here at Gardens International. It’s a statement about the ambition of this city today and the ambition that Limerick Twenty Thirty is tasked with delivering on.”
For more information, go to: http://gardenslimerick.com/
