HOPES are alive to transform a historic Limerick structure into a commercial office space on the Dock Road, where the city’s outskirts have been growing with hopes for new enterprise and homes.
Planning permission was submitted by Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) to Limerick City and County Council for the conservation, restoration, and new works to the historic Bannatyne Mill, a well-known landmark and protected structure on Ted Russell Dock.
The Mills, a detached eight-bay, five-storey limestone building building from early 19th century port activity has been earmarked for a multi-million euro transformation into a commercial hub that could accommodate up hundreds of employees.
This forms part of the Limerick Docklands Framework Strategy, unveiled by the SFPC in 2018.
The framework strategy was the first time that non-core assets were explored for their commercial potential in a programme that is hoped to attract significant inward investment and potentially in excess of 1,000 jobs.
The plan also including moving the existing haulage vehicle entrance by the former mill further down the Dock Road to ease traffic management and the development of the 3,000 square-metre Bannatyne Mills site.
The proposed works include the demolition and removal of the utility compressor room structure and an ESB substation structure situated to the west and east of the building respectively.
The planning hopes could signal further growth for the Dock Road area, which just last month saw plans announced for 285 new apartments at the former Limerick Gasworks site from the Land Development Agency.