Housing minister Darragh O'Brien unveiled a plan on Thursday to develop up to 2,800 affordable homes, parklands, commercial spaces and sustainable transport links on State lands in the heart of Limerick city over the next 20 years.
It would allow people “who are struggling to save or pay rent, to be able to have an opportunity to own their own home, where the State is going to support them to do so”, he said.
The project, funded by Government, and led by the Land Development Agency (LDA), aims to transform 50 hectares of State-owned lands along the Limerick rail network, centred around Colbert Rail Station, and incorporating new urban districts.
It will be “the largest ever transfer of State land for housing”, according to the agency.
The Colbert Station Quarter will provide for transport-orientated development and the agency says it seeks to achieve a vibrant mix of homes, landmark buildings, unique pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, employment space and and play areas.
There will also be enhanced facilities for health, education and other key services, which are to be set within a highly connected series of parklands.
Features of the plan include a proposed new raised pedestrian walkway, cycleway and public realm space connecting Colbert Station to the rest of the city.
The lands marked out for development are "major strategic sites in Limerick's Colbert Station, including lands owned by CIE and the HSE".
These "underutilised lands", including at the rear of St Joseph's Hospital, Mulgrave Street, have been prioritised for the first phase of housing, identified under the Government's Housing for All Strategy, subject to the public consultation and ongoing engagement with HSE.
John Coleman, chief executive of the LDA, said its objective was "to ensure the delivery of housing and supporting development on underused State land, to transform a city".
Launching the plan, the Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien, said the project was “the most significant housing strategy in the history of the State”.
“The Housing for All Plan outlines plans for the activation of underused public lands to deliver much-needed homes. The Land Development Agency will not just develop land banks and build homes, it will also create sustainable communities and drive transformational change,” Mr O’Brien added.
Limerick City and County Council chief executive Pat Daly said the development would significantly address the city's social housing needs, and "serve as a magnet for economic development" while "also supporting a more sustainable city, reducing reliance on private transport".
A draft framework published Thursday, accompanied by a strategic environmental assessment and a strategic flood risk assessment, is open for public consultation until November 11th.
