Limerick is gearing itself towards 2020, with the proposed demolition of Cruises Street, Watergate flats, Sarsfield House and Arthur’s Quay Shopping Centre.

This is part of a far-reaching programme to transform it into a 24-hour living city and a magnet for investment and tourism.

Throwing out the challenge is leading architectural firm, Elliott Maguire Landers (EML), and a packed attendance at the Marriott Hotel heard Michael Landers detail the reasons why by 2020, the city’s population should be up to 150,000.

Pointing out that the exodus of people to the suburbs over the past decades has resulted in the city centre falling into abandonment and decay, Hugh Elliott said:

"We are the only city in the country if not Europe, where suburban commercial rents are higher than those in the city centre. But we want to transform Limerick into a new city where 150,000 people will choose to live in a city that will develop into a thriving, cultural and economic life”.

Mr Landers detailed some of the imaginative redevelopment initiatives envisioned.

Limerick City

They include: a new civic and cultural centre with open spaces: a dynamic riverside life with a floating concert arena, pedestrian bridge to O’Callaghan’s Strand: a business district at Bishop’s Quay that would feature clusters of high-rise buildings:

demolition and imaginative redevelopment of the Watergate flats, redesign of the Milk Market: demolition of Cruises Street to create a street of mixed-use and residential development that would restore a 24-hour life back to the area:

regeneration of the Georgian area with schemes that would provide good quality accommodation on the top two floors and basements of these buildings, with the development of winter gardens and quality mews to the rear: an Urban Stroll Way from Colbert Station to the Riverside Business district to provide quality open spaces for relaxation.

"We will also be seeking the help of our politicians to have Sarsfield House demolished - it cuts off the panorama of historic buildings leading to the medieval quarter. Arthur’s Quay Park and Shopping Centre would be transformed for mixed use”.

Dedicated to breathe new life into the city Mr Landers said the focus will be on providing quality city spaces that will make people question the choice for a suburban lifestyle

"With the city becoming a place to live in, do business in and enjoy leisure time in, we will have the beginnings of a new city with a 24-hour presence that will result in a place that doesn’t threaten with that abandoned empty feeling of being unsafe.

Without people there is no city life and no opportunity for us to progress - we need to think big and it should be remembered that great regions need great cities and we want all the stakeholders here today to buy into an agreed vision for the future of Limerick to make it a thriving competitive European city”.