THE sites of two Limerick businesses will be demolished and transformed into a new development of purpose built student accommodation.
Planning permission has been approved for the multi-storey building after heating and plumbing merchant, A&R Supplies on New Road, Pennywell submitted an application to Limerick City and County Council.
The plan, which will offer 115 student bed spaces, will also see the demolition of a second business, Spirit Memorials, a family run headstone and memorial business that occupy the south-eastern corner of the site.
The site is closely located to Limerick School of Art and Design’s (LSAD) Clare Street campus and residential areas including Old Care Street Terrace, Pennywell Gardens, Roxton Terrace and Pennywell Road Housing.
Under the plans, the construction of 17 apartments will take place which will have a total floor area of 3,309 sq metres, ranging in height from four to six storeys.
The apartments will offer 127 square metres of private open space, an internal courtyard with cycle, pedestrian and emergency vehicular access from Old Clare Street.
96 bicycle spaces, a student reception, laundry room, staff office, plant room, internal communal space and a SUDS inclusive Green Roof will also be installed.
Plans for the site have been previously refused by An Board Pleanála.
The Architects Urban Design Statement claims that the development is an “opportunity to improve the Pennywell Road and Old Clare Street urban realm by pulling the existing building lines back marginally.”
“This would benefit pedestrian safety, particularly along Old Clare Street where the footpath is currently very narrow. The proposed main entrance on Pennywell Road is further set back from the outer building line in order to reduce the impact on pedestrian traffic in the public realm. A set down area is proposed on Pennywell Road to ensure a safe location for drop-offs, pick-ups or deliveries”, the statement reads.
Last December planning was also granted for Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) for the nearby former Laundry Building to establish the Forge Design Factory (FDF), Ireland’s first interdisciplinary design and learning hub.
The project, a collaboration between TUS, University of Limerick, Limerick City and County Council, Tipperary and Clare County Councils aims to reuse the space as a highly flexible maker space, accommodating creative workshops, prototyping facilities, and industry-linked events to develop and showcase new ideas.