Limerick’s Arthur’s Quay framework plan shows possibility for a major transformation

The Arthur’s Quay Framework Plan outlines comprehensive redevelopment goals to rejuvenate the city centre area

The Arthur’s Quay area in Limerick could be gearing up for a major transformation following the release of a detailed framework plan which is under public consultation in the city

Arthur’s Quay framework plan outlines comprehensive redevelopment goals to rejuvenate the city centre area, presenting options for the future of the area which are expected to bring economic, social, and cultural benefits for Limerick’s city centre.

Michael Tiernan, current owner of Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre has proposed a fourth option through a report which they believe  “deserves serious consideration”.

The three options in the framework include Option 1 taking a “business as usual” approach which will retain Arthur’s Quay in its current layout, suggesting minimal changes without addressing some of the plan’s core aims such as additions to the public realm and improving connectivity to the city’s waterfront. The option will see no changes to the current layout and each landowner would need to deal with their individual infrastructure needs which could impact their ability to deliver development on their sites. Some developments, like the University of Limerick City Campus, may still proceed, the plan concludes that this option lacks proactive support for revitalization.

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Option 2 shows the redesigning of the public realm and investment in infrastructure through the expansion of Arthur’s Quay Park onto the Sarsfield House site, closing Honan’s Quay to regular traffic. This would introduce new green spaces, amenities, and a public “gateway” space on O’Connell Street. This option shows changes for pedestrians and cycling routes. Sarsfield House would be removed to expand the park and giving direct access to the waterfront and the UL City Campus.

Option 3 shows a more comprehensive design which would change plot boundaries and allow for a larger mixed-use redevelopment. Including a new riverside park, expanded greenspaces, and a major gateway on O’Connell Street, Option 3 also shows an extension to Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre, making room for hospitality, residential, and retail spaces.

A report carried out by CBRE on behalf of Tiernan Properties, the current owner of Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre, Michael Tiernan underscores Arthur’s Quay as a pivotal site with the potential to bridge Limerick’s waterfront with the City Centre which could create a vibrant area for residents, businesses, and tourists.

Through this, the report has proposed a fourth option which CBRE say “aligns significantly with our client’s vision for the area and is most in line with the aims and objectives of Limerick 2030”.

The report emphasises creating a cohesive public realm that integrates Arthur’s Quay with the surrounding city and riverfront, including developing green spaces, pedestrian pathways, and recreational areas to promote accessibility and engagement.

The report also suggests that the redevelopment should include a mix-use focus, promoting residential, retail, and hospitality which they believe will support Limerick’s economic growth.

Highlighting the need for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, the report recommends roadway modifications to reduce vehicle congestion and enhance connectivity to neighbouring O’Connell Street and the Opera Square project. The preservation of historical sites like the Hunt Museum and respect for the area’s cultural context are also recommended emphasising a need to balance development with environmental and heritage conservation.

In their proposed plans for Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre, Tiernan Properties have shown a multi-story development which includes a central walkway through the current Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre building which would connect Arthur’s Quay park to the city’s main thoroughfare. The space would allow for 30 per cent of the current multi-storey parking at the shopping complex to be given up to include a two-screen cinema, which the group says is lacking in the city centre with no other dedicated cinema in the area.

Included in the report is a list of retailers who could potentially occupy some of the larger spaces which would created through the development, noting Marks & Spencer, TK Maxx, and Nike among others. 

“This option as presented by Limerick City and County Council / Metropolitan Workshop Architects aligns significantly with our client’s vision for the area and is most in line with the aims and objectives of “Limerick 2030″. As mentioned previously, a mixed-use development of scale incorporating a large volume of residential units with complementing retail, food & beverage, cultural and leisure space and also creating a more cohesive connection between the city centre core, Opera Square and the River Shannon is in our opinion the desirable scenario for the city centre,” the report reads.

They add, “This option as presented is the only option that affords the possibility of larger, retail format friendly units on the site whilst incorporating the existing Multi-Storey Car Park and the existing Tesco supermarket. The creation of a city square in the heart of the city and a pedestrian route bisecting the existing Arthurs Quay Shopping Centre from Opera Square to the proposed “World Class Waterfront” would finally bring the water’s edge to the city centre. This option deserves serious consideration, and it is our client’s intention to engage fully with LCCC in realising this exciting proposal subject to financial viability considerations.”

Speaking with Limerick’s Live 95fm, Madeline Lyes, Chair of the Limerick Pedestrian Network said, “If you improve a city for pedestrians, particularly vulnerable pedestrians, young people, old people, people with disabilities, then you’re going to improve a city for everybody. And so for us the focus on the potential to lose one of our two main city green spaces or lose a big chunk of it is an issue that’s really kind of close to our hearts and animating us a lot.”

Speaking about both of the city’s parks, The People’s Park and Arthur’s Quay park, Madeline said Arthur’s Quay Park is “one of the best city vistas in Ireland. The views are stunning, every time I walk through it, I just have to stop and gaze” she said, “It’s hugely underdeveloped and it needs some love. It needs some attention. We need it in this city. The people need it.”