A FORMER city centre Garda station could be set to get some new tenants following council’s moves to compulsorily purchase the building.
The derelict former Garda station on Lord Edward Street in Limerick City has been compulsorily purchased by Limerick City and County Council.
The station, last in operation in 1987, is one of 12 properties that Limerick City and County Council officials served vesting orders on, which means that the registered owners of the properties will now have 12 months to engage with the local authority before the properties officially transfer into council ownership.
Other city centre properties that have come under vesting orders include 10 Lower Hartstonge Street, 11 Clare Street, 19 Nicholas Street.
13 Pike Avenue in Garryowen, a property on Cappamore’s Main Street, The Village Inn in Feenagh, and the Shannon House on the Main Street in Foynes have also been served with vesting orders.
The vesting orders are an attempt to reduce the amount of vacancy and dereliction in Limerick City, as well as in towns and villages across the county.
Once the properties are formally acquired by the council, they will most likely be sold on the open market, with conditions attached to the sale that the property must be brought back into use within a certain timeframe.
In a statement, a spokesman for Limerick City and County Council said that the former Garda station has been “detracting from the amenity and character of the neighbourhood” for many years.
“The vesting of this property and its subsequent redevelopment will have a significantly positive effect on the area and the people who reside there.”
Limerick was awarded €9million from the Department of Housing in 2023 under the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) to support regeneration and rejuvenation of the city, and towns across the county.
“2024 will see a sustained commitment to ensure that the area of dereliction and vacancy will continue to be a high priority for Limerick,” the council spokesman concluded.
