Limerick Twenty Thirty (LTT) has today advanced its mandate as an enabler of city centre regeneration with the announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Technological University of The Shannon (TUS) on the development of the 10-acre Cleeves Riverside Quarter.
LTT, a dynamic property development company established as a special purpose vehicle of Limerick City and County Council to plan and develop key strategic sites in Limerick City and County, has committed with TUS, which operates seven campuses throughout Ireland’s Midwest and Midlands region, to explore the potential development of a Higher Education campus and related ancillary support service buildings, including student accommodation, at the site.
Designs are already complete for the residential elements and public realm, and with the new addition of the university campus, this will complement the scheme, delivering a new neighbourhood for Limerick where people can live, learn, work and grow up in.
The TUS element, which will be subject to funding from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and other sources, is centred on the Cleeves Riverside Quarter Flaxmill Site in Limerick, one of the most historic industrial sites in the city. The plan is to transform the LTT owned site into a dynamic project that will become a new heartbeat for Limerick.
LTT will in 2025submit the first of its two phased planning application for the site, located on O’Callaghan Strand/North Circular Road. Phase 1 will include public realm, housing and heritage works, with Phase 2 to include the LTT-TUS partnership.
Following the successful delivery of the masterplan, the Design teams have already been working together on the project, which would see up to 1,700 students located on the site. In total, some 500 accommodation units will be in the overall development, with almost half of them student accommodation.
Conn Murray, Chairman of LTT said, “Our mandate is to be an enabler of economic growth in Limerick by developing ourselves or partnering with other developers to deliver key strategic sites that can act as catalysts for economic growth. This partnership with TUS, will be a brilliant proof point of what we are seeking to do. It will bring over 1,700 students into the city centre, which will help with the transformation of the city into one of the most vibrant urban centres in Ireland. TUS is a perfect partner for us on this and we look forward to working with them on this transformational project for Limerick.”
TUS President Professor Vincent Cunnane, “The mission of TUS is to be a catalyst for sustainable change through education and research that transforms lives, our region, and the world beyond. Our participation in the Cleeves Riverside Quarter project is very much in line with this mission and our continued expansion. LTT is a fitting partner for us as we have shared goals, and while there is much to do to realise this Cleeves Riverside Quarter project, we are committed to and passionate about its potential to deliver for Limerick, the Midwest region and beyond.”
Among the key elements of the masterplan for the site are the 500 residential units, workspaces, a waterfront office tower a vibrant, connected Public Realm that will connect seamlessly across campus well as linking the Cleeves Riverside Quarter to the city.
The 10acre Cleeves Riverside Quarter is one of Limerick’s most recognisable sites, synonymous for its 142ft red-bricked chimney stack, which remains the emblem for what was one of Ireland’s largest industrial sites of the 19th century, designed and built for up to 6,000 workers. It was home to the famous Cleeves Toffee and the Condensed Milk Company, which had 3,000 employees on its payroll and sourced its raw material from 3,000 farmers across Ireland. The site also has significant political heritage, having been one of the key locations in the Limerick Soviet of 1919.