If you have come upon this website, you are probably already well aware that the city council has recently purchased a large site in the centre of Limerick City, on which a collection of buildings currently stand. The site is bordered by Patrick Street, Ellen Street, Rutland Street and Michael Street and is effectively a very large block (3.2 acres) in the heart of Limerick City. It, therefore, offers great potential.
The recent history of the site is an unhappy one. An ill-fated Celtic Tiger era plan to develop it as a shopping centre fell apart (as ill-fated plans do) and it has remained derelict since the various individual properties were acquired by the developer in 2007. Following the collapse of that plan the future of the site and the streets surrounding it has been uncertain. Its purchase by the City Council in November 2011, therefore, is a welcome one. Indeed, it presents an almost unparalleled opportunity to change the city and the Midwest region for the better.
Understanding and appreciating the scale of that potential is the key challenge for the moment. It is a time for ambition and creativity, and for envisaging a radically different and more positive future for Limerick and the surrounding Midwest region. This website is a forum for discussion, and it may yield some good ideas. We would like contributors to think big, to be creative and intelligent in their efforts, to keep the long term benefit in mind over and above the short term, and to be pragmatic. Please go to the suggestion page and follow the discussion and contribute.
This website was proposed at a meeting of Transition Limerick on 19 December 2011 and has been set up by some of its members. It is, however, intended to be a very open and inclusive forum and we would welcome and encourage input from all who share an interest in the future of Limerick and the Midwest.