O’Connell Street Development

Revitalising the Heart of Limerick City

Visitors to Limerick city in recent months will have seen works underway as the redevelopment of O’Connell Street begins in earnest.

Limerick Urban Centre Revitalisation – O’Connell Street (LUCROC) project will ultimately result in a transformation of the city’s main thoroughfare, O’Connell Street, from the Denmark Street junction as far as the Barrington Street junction, spanning a total of approximately 800 metres. Managed by Limerick City and County Council (LCCC), the development is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with an estimated cost of €9.1m.

Following the recession of 2008, a high number of vacancies were reported in the city, and this, coupled with the approval for retail parks in the suburbs, led to a dramatic decrease in footfall to traditional city centre shops. The Chamber felt strongly that the city needed to undergo significant changes to win commercial confidence for investment in the city centre and to entice visitors back in to its centre.

By 2020, the Chamber was determined to turn the plans for O’Connell Street into action. “We were very much in favour of the investment and felt that we couldn’t wait any longer for it to

O’Connell Street, as the primary boulevard in the city centre, is critically important in terms of creating the ambience and vibrancy in the city centre that we’re trying to achieve.

Limerick Chamber CEO Dee Ryan happen,” said Limerick Chamber CEO Dee Ryan, “It was important from a member perspective that it didn’t get bogged down in a debate that would ultimately mean that we wouldn’t move forward; O’Connell Street, as the primary boulevard in the city centre, is critically important in terms of creating the ambience and vibrancy in the city centre that we’re trying to achieve, driving footfall to traders and ensuring access for both private and public transport.” The Chamber recognised that the redevelopment of O’Connell Street offers an opportunity to create a new public realm that can be a destination in itself as well as an amenity for Limerick people and visitors, bringing national and international attention to Limerick.

As part of its commitment to consultation and collaboration, the Chamber liaised with key stakeholders, including many member companies, to understand the concerns and potential impacts, develop the plans and concepts, and represent the views of businesses. As a result of this process, the Limerick Chamber made a submission to LCCC which highlighted the need for this project to showcase Limerick as a leader in thoughtful urban design that puts the visitor experience at the centre of the project. “There was a lot of lobbying involved, with many different stakeholders and perspectives,” Ryan recalled. “We felt it was important that we worked closely with the councillors to share our views and take part in the process with our own submission, elements of which we’re glad to see were taken on board by the local authority and implemented.”

“The revised plans presented by LCCC represented a significant improvement and allowed for a reduction in private traffic on the street, as well as a slowing of traffic through its design,” Ryan said. “We wanted to discourage the use of O’Connell Street as a commuting route, while also allowing for local traffic to access city centre retailers.” The final plans include public transport infrastructure and the narrowing of traffic lanes, in addition to dedicated cycle lanes. Traffic will be slowed with raised table junctions, while parking and loading spaces will be relocated to adjacent side streets. It is envisaged that the city will become a more welcoming place for visitors and residents alike, with wider footpaths to facilitate the gathering of people, on-street trading, and ‘spill out zones’ from shops and cafés on the street. The aesthetic appeal will also be much improved, with street furniture, including seating areas, trees, planting, bicycle stands, and lighting, as well as attractive points of interest such as sculptures, pedestrian plazas and water installations.

The Chamber’s President Donnacha Hurley noted that establishing the city centre as a vibrant environment was a key priority for the business representative body. “Place-making was at the heart of our submission to the O’Connell Street consultation, as we wanted a street that was more attractive for all age groups, including children and the elderly,” he explained.

Through the efforts of Limerick Chamber, the LCCC, and the many stakeholders involved, Limerick city centre is on the way to being transformed over the coming months. The LUCROC development will breathe new life into O’Connell Street, restoring it to the bustling boulevard that its Georgian planners envisaged, and its modern citizens deserve.