As Limerick Twenty Thirty CEO reports ‘huge’ public interest in the Cleeves master plan, Jack Butler reflects on the timeline of the development so far
By Jack Butler
The reimagining of the historic Cleeves Factory, one of four initial investment projects announced by the Limerick Twenty Thirty Strategic Development project in 2016, is due to see a final master plan unveiled next month according to CEO David Conway.
After two days of “positive” consultations with the people of Limerick at the end of March, Mr Conway told the Limerick Voice that the public showed “huge interest” in the project and praised the “ambition and direction” of the plan.
Remembered fondly as the former home of Cleeves condensed milk factory, over the years the site has contained a quarry, a flour mill and even served as a key location of the 1919 Limerick Soviet. Out of use since 2011, the campus was initially purchased by Limerick City and County Council in 2015 for €4.1 million.
In industrial use since the mid-nineteenth century, the location is recognisable by its 142ft chimney structure, a reminder of when Cleeves was one of Ireland’s largest factory sites.
The project, expected to be completed by 2030, is estimated to cost €300 million, with €35m granted from the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF) as part of the city’s €73.4 million World Class Waterfront project.
The current plan for the space aims to revitalise and redevelop the area by encouraging and facilitating new business investment, while also retaining and integrating the historic buildings and industrial heritage on site.
New developments proposed for the site include:
- Up to 500 residential units, including student accommodation
- A third-level education hub, supported by Limerick Twenty Thirty and Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS)
- Public social areas such as gardens, boardwalks and a reservoir trail
- Sustainable accessibility options, such as pedestrian access to the city
- A small theatre venue and gallery
CEO David Conway also told Limerick Voice that in addition to finalising the master plan, “environmental surveys are ongoing, while we will be doing some initial repair works to the Flaxmill Building later this year”.
Placards detailing the proposed master plan were placed on the walls surrounding the North Circular Road site in advance of the public consultation, and can also be viewed online.
Find out more about Cleeves Riverside Quarter.
