From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
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The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, today announced €437 million in funding for six regeneration projects in the South-West investment region of Cork and Kerry.
The projects are being funded under ‘Call 2’ of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF). The URDF part-funds projects aimed at enhancing urban areas to make them more attractive places in which to live, work, visit and invest. The three local authorities, which will deliver these multi-annual projects, will receive this funding.
The projects for which URDF support have been approved are:
• Cork City Docklands (Cork City Council) – €353.4 million
• Grand Parade Quarter (Cork City Council) – €46.05 million
• Mallow Town Centre Regeneration (Cork County Council) – €4.7 million
• Passage West - Ringaskiddy - Carrigaline Harbour Cluster (Cork County Council) – €817,500
• Destination Killarney (Kerry County Council) – €16.06 million
• Positioning Tralee as a Regional Economic Driver & Destination Town (Kerry County Council) – €15.93 million
The Department will now contact the local authorities on the next steps regarding funding. All selected projects support the National Planning Framework’s ‘national strategic outcome’ of compact growth, a particular focus of the second call for URDF proposals. The URDF aims to facilitate a greater proportion of residential and commercial development, supported by infrastructure, services and amenities, within the existing built-up areas of larger urban settlements.
Announcing the provisional allocations this morning, Minister O’Brien said:
“This funding will support projects in Cork and Kerry that will enhance quality of life for many people. The projects are all about making these areas more attractive places in which to live, work, visit and invest.
“The Government is today committing to funding two major regeneration projects in Cork City that can transform areas of great potential into vibrant places, underpinned by essential infrastructure that is being provided by the URDF.
“Town centre renewal is the focus of the project the Government is funding in Mallow. The public realm plan for the town will help improve linkages between key services and amenities. The project's pilot scheme to incentivise establishment of new independent retailers or offices in the town centre provides economic opportunity.
“Making places more attractive to visit and invest are among the URDF aims. The visitor experience is at the heart of the project in Killarney. I believe this project will enhance the visitor experience in the town’s centre, which in turn will bring economic benefit. Through a range of works, Tralee’s project will open up new development opportunities, both residential and commercial, including on vacant land. That is the kind of compact growth we want to achieve through the URDF across the country.
“Overall, I believe this funding can be a catalyst for regeneration, development and growth. It will also provide much-needed economic stimulus and job creation in Cork and Kerry as our economy emerges from the depths of the pandemic.”
Commenting on this round of URDF funding, Minister O’Brien said:
“Compact growth was the focus of this round of URDF funding. The projects the Government is funding are geared towards sustainable growth of our urban settlements, supported by jobs, houses, services and amenities, as envisaged by the National Planning Framework. As well as compact growth, the fund supports our other national planning aims. In that sense the URDF is a unique approach to Government funding. Whilst many Government-funded programmes are for specific types of projects, the URDF funds a diverse set of integrated projects with integrated aims. I look forward to working with Cork City Council, Cork County Council and Kerry County Council to progress these important projects.”
He concluded:
“I understand there will be some disappointment in terms of projects which were unsuccessful. My Department will engage with local authorities and provide feedback in respect of unsuccessful proposals.”
The projects were chosen after a rigorous assessment process, overseen by a project advisory board consisting of Government departments, State agencies and national and international experts in areas such as building, architecture and planning. In total, the department received 76 project proposals. Each local authority submitted at least one application. Today’s announcement honours the Programme for Government commitment to continue the URDF.
This project will unlock Cork City Docklands potential to develop as a vibrant, top-class district that will attract investment in mixed-use development, leisure and cultural facilities. The development of Cork City Docklands is a key element of Cork City’s ambitious plans to achieve compact urban growth. The works to be supported include:
o Strategic Public Realm and Parks and Facilities – significant public realm works at Cork City Docklands. These will include development of Marina Park, provision of a public realm space at the Quays, and supporting site assembly to deliver green spaces for active and passive sports and recreation.
o Strategic Surface Water Drainage and Flood Protection – protection of the Docklands from flooding by investing in drainage and flood protection measures that respect the history and heritage of the area. The measures will primarily use nature-based solutions and existing infrastructure.
o Transportation and Access – enhanced mobility in the Docklands through investment in key significant strategic transport infrastructure, to optimise the capacity of road, walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure which includes both the Eastern Gateway Bridge and Kent Station Bridge/Link Road. This is with a view to achieving a very high proportion of sustainable transport modes for the docklands area.
o Associated feasibility studies, project development and project management supports to facilitate timely implementation.
This project will bring about the regeneration of the Grand Parade Quarter, an underutilised area of Cork City. This is the follow-on capital element to the design phase project supported by the URDF ‘Call 1’ funding. The development of the Grand Parade Quarter will be transformative and will combine with other complementary developments in the area to create a vibrant quarter where culture and learning acts as a catalyst for business and tourism. Works will include:
City Library - The Grand Parade has traditionally been the home of Cork’s City Library. The existing library is dated and too small to achieve the potential for a library in a UNESCO Learning City. It is proposed to develop a 7,700 square metres library in a well-designed iconic building that embraces its riverside location. A target of 1 million visits per annum is set for the new library, which is achievable given the location, scale and range of activities proposed for the New City Library. It is also proposed to provide a 1,600 square metres Sanctuary Garden on the library’s rooftop. This will be accessible to all through library membership and will be a secure place for older people and people with disabilities to enjoy Cork’s urban biodiversity.
Bishop Lucey Park – rejuvenate Bishop Lucey Park as an important amenity in Cork City. This will create a place of recreation, both active and passive, with something to offer all ages within the community. It will show a clear understanding of the park's urban context as a soft green space within the city.
Public Realm – the public realm will include a public plaza, boardwalk and accessible infrastructure that will enhance experience of the overall Grand Parade area as well as its connectivity and permeability. It will provide:
o a new public space facing the sun on the north bank, to the south branch of the River Lee
o a hard surface civic space for people on the river as a counterpoint to Bishop Lucey Park
o open green space to the north of the site
o a new civic space in the city to experience literature, arts and culture
o enable enjoyment of views of key signature buildings of Cork City, including St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral and Elizabeth Fort while providing access and interconnectivity to both Grand Parade and the Cork Events centre.
The €399.45 million in approved funding is in addition to €3.42 million in approved URDF funding for four ‘Call 1’ projects: ‘Beamish and Crawford / Grand Parade Quarter’; ‘Cork City Docklands’; and ‘Kent Station Yard (Site enabling)’ and ‘Tivoli Docks’.
Total URDF funding approved to date: €402.88 million
This project’s overarching aim is stimulating town centre renewal and creating a more liveable and attractive town centre.
This project supports the delivery of key, strategic town centre transformative projects targeted in Mallow town, along with two pilot schemes. The two pilot schemes involve building re-use interventions in order to assess if such interventions can stimulate private sector interest and/or activity, to address some of the key challenges facing town centres. Works to be supported include:
• Mallow Castle Visitor Destination Development – appointment of a design team to progress the design and business case for the development of a visitor destination development at Mallow Castle.
• Mallow Main Street Public Realm – design team to develop an overall public realm plan for Davis Street and key laneways in Mallow town. This will animate and create an attractive, vibrant and welcoming sense of place in Mallow Town Centre. It will improve linkages between key services and amenities. The public realm plan will have a specific focus on developing Mallow’s overall “place-making” identity through the development of key anchor, heritage-led visual interpretative elements.
• Pilot retail/commercial incubator scheme – to incentivise the establishment of new independent retailers and/or offices in Mallow town centre.
• Pilot vacant property/brownfield redevelopment scheme – to support the financial viability and regeneration of town centre vacant property/brownfield sites for energy efficient or zero-carbon social infrastructure developments.
This project covers project planning and design and the initial site assembly to facilitate the future delivery of a suite of co-ordinated and linked transformative projects. Those projects will be targeted at the towns of Carrigaline and Passage West, which, together with Ringaskiddy, form a key spatial cluster adjoining Cork Harbour. Works include:
• Carrigaline - strategic site assembly to enable urban renewal that will complement and leverage significant regeneration gains arising from the re-routing of traffic from the town's Main Street; detailed design plan for public realm works
• Passage West – feasibility study and design for the extension of the existing cycle-way to Passage West through the Town. This extension is in order to deliver a critical part of the proposed Metropolitan Cycle Network linking the Passage West ¬ Ringaskiddy - Carrigaline Cluster to Metropolitan Cork. These works will also involve detailed design to unlock significant urban regeneration opportunities at the under-utilised waterfront lands adjoining the existing cycleway.
The €5.52 million in approved funding is in addition to €10.94 million in approved URDF funding for seven ‘Call 1’ projects: ‘Carrigaline Western Relief Road’; ‘Midleton Main Street Public Realm Improvements’; and ‘Midleton Permeability Package of Proposals’; ‘Cobh UEA - Public Realm - Diaspora Centre’; ‘Carrigaline Public Realm’; ‘Carrigtwohill’ and ‘Mallow Town Regeneration’
Total URDF funding approved to date: €16.46 million
This project seeks to mirror the world-class natural environment that is Killarney National Park with an exceptional urban experience that sets Killarney apart as a tourism destination.
The project seeks to interweave the fabric of the urban core of Killarney seamlessly into the National Park through a series of interrelated transport and public realm improvements and a traffic management strategy that removes as far as possible transitory traffic from the urban core. This project seeks to expand and diversify the town’s core by creating an authentic tourist experience through the following works:
• Regeneration of derelict Town Centre Site (Áras Phádraig) - to provide a community centred, cultural hub including a theatre, with additional parking to support the compact growth of the town and the integration of its community. It will create a public amenity space for the promotion of community and will enhance the Arts/Cultural Heritage Experience.
• Enhancing and Extending the “Authentic” Killarney Offer - development and promotion of Killarney’s local craft through the designation of the Glebe Craft quarter in the town centre; enhancement of the arts/cultural heritage experience through development of the Áras Phádraig site, with improved links to the recently redeveloped Anam Building and Killarney House.
• Public Realm improvements at Beech Road, College Street and New Street/High Street, to leverage the visitor potential of the natural and built heritage and the uniqueness of the ‘town in the park’ proposition.
This project supports major areas of intervention for Tralee in relation to its economic growth. The major challenge facing the town is creating the opportunities for private sector investment in mixed-use development and making these opportunities an attractive proposition for the private sector. This project continues on the work of the successful URDF ‘Call 1’-funded project (‘Phase 1 Tralee Town Centre - Rock Street, Russell Street and Bridge Street’). Works to be supported include:
• Completion of phase 3 of Tralee Town Centre Public Realm, which will result in the primary streets of the central area being finished to a high standard. The public realm will link the major retail areas of the Mall, Castle Street and Lower Rock Street to the Island of Geese, and strengthen the links to the Town Park through St John’s Church Plaza.
• Develop ‘Tralee’s Market Quarter - to create an attractive Market Quarter linking the recently upgraded Ashe Hotel and the multi-storey carpark to the Mall. Significant opportunities exist for unlocking the potential for both residential and commercial development in vacant and derelict areas.
• Austin Stack Football Stadium Plaza - redevelopment of the entire area, including the road layout to create a ‘landmark’ entry point to the town centre, celebrating the town’s rich sporting history.
• Site Assembly – strategic site assembly of key areas to address dereliction in the town core.
• Island of Geese centre – develop multi-purpose community space.
• Innovation District – feasibility study to explore the development of an Innovation District.
• John Joe Sheehy Road area – develop a Master Plan for the area.
• All-weather performance/civic space – facilitating the detailed design and planning of an all-weather performance/civic space.
The €32 million in approved funding is in addition to €3.71 million in approved URDF funding for three ‘Call 1’ projects: ‘Phase I Tralee Town Centre - Rock Street, Russell Street and Bridge Street’; ‘Smarter Travel Killarney (Link & Public Realm)’; and ‘Áras Phádraig Masterplan’.
Total URDF funding approved to date: €35.72 million
Ends