Chief Executive of Limerick 2030 has stepped down after seven years
David Conway has left his role as CEO of Limerick Twenty Thirty DAC, the property development company charged with the 1 billion euro project to reinvent Limerick’s city centre, according to a press release from the company.
Conway, who has served as CEO since 2017, has been appointed chief executive of Louth County Council, where he will oversee the council as it works to stimulate economic growth in the region.
“As a native of Limerick, I was really excited by the prospect of taking on this role seven years ago, simply because of the uniqueness of the entity and the ambition around what it was trying to achieve,” Conway said in the press release. “I depart this role equally excited by the potential that lies ahead for it.”
Created in 2016 as a special purpose vehicle of Limerick City and County Council, Limerick Twenty Thirty DAC has worked on developing several properties during Conway’s tenure, including transforming the Gardens International Building on Henry Street into an office space and planning the first stage of the Mungret Park residential development.
These projects are all part of the “Limerick 2030 Plan,” which was published in 2013 by the city and county council and lays out a blueprint for redeveloping the city center. Conway said he hopes that these projects eventually reinvent the city and county as “a vibrant modern and dynamic centre of growth.”
The signature project during Conway’s tenure was the much-anticipated 3.7acre €300m Opera Square project, which intends to create a massive new civic space that could employ up to 3,000 people.
“We are undertaking some of the most significant developments that will happen in Limerick, certainly in the first half of the century,” Conway said in the press release.
Mayor of Limerick John Moran said in a press release that Conway’s time at Limerick Twenty Thirty was marked by “unwavering dedication.”
“As a shareholder in the DAC, I look forward to working on the succession plan to ensure the continued success and momentum of the projects that David have so passionately driven,” he said.
Michelle Gallagher, the CEO of the Limerick Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview that
much remains to be done to execute the vision of transforming Limerick’s city center and that it will be essential to find a new CEO for the organization.
“Limerick Twenty Thirty is instrumental for the region so it’s a really important role and one that we hope will attract the right candidate, as there’s big shoes to fill,” she said.