The Gateway to Limerick City
Unveiling the Next Chapter for Limerick’s Newest Urban Quarter
Colbert Quarter
In 2022, The Land Development Agency published the Colbert Quarter Spatial Framework. This Spatial Framework outlined a transformative opportunity to rejuvenate underutilised lands and to develop them as a new, vibrant, well-connected and sustainable mixed use city quarter.
The Spatial Framework sets the vision of creating a series of inclusive and integrated Districts.Â
The Land Development Agency is delighted to now publish (November, 2023) the St. Joseph’s Hospital Draft Masterplan, which encompasses the Roxboro and Ballysimon Districts identified in the Spatial Framework.
The video below provides an overview of the St. Joseph’s Hospital project lands and context:
The map below presents a composite picture of the Districts identified in the Colbert Quarter Spatial Framework, including the St. Joseph’s Hospital project lands:
St. Joseph's Hospital Draft Masterplan
The aerial image below identifies which portion of the overall lands at St. Josephs’s comprise the subject scheme. Note the existing operational HSE Hospital lands fall outside of the proposed design boundary:
St. Joseph’s Hospital Draft Masterplan
The Draft Masterplan guides the future development of a key element of the Colbert Quarter Spatial Framework. Comprising some 6.4 hectares, the Draft Masterplan aims to build on the core ambitions of the Spatial Framework, while continuing to support the operations of the HSE on the site. Its design is conceived to support five key ambitions for:
- connectivity through and around the site
- sustainable and affordable living
- participative landscape
- an integrated neighbourhood
- celebrating heritage
The Draft Masterplan proposes three phases with a mix of housing tenure and typologies across each phase. The design seeks to enhance existing routes to create a more pedestrian and cycle friendly environment and proposes new connections which includes initiating a new urban greenway for pedestrians and cyclists. The vision is grounded in a desire to create a regenerative neighbourhood which proposes quality living and growing spaces, rainwater management, bio-diverse corridors and native planting. Strategies include designing for clean air with generous green spaces and the promotion of well-being.
A vibrant mix of uses is provided for in the Draft Masterplan, with variety in housing and a sensitivity to its context, with a strong emphasis on place-making. The site will become a great place to live providing a series of communal uses proposed at ground level, including: local retail, caf̩, workspaces, community use of the existing protected structures Рthe former chapel and Elmhurst House. The landscape will knit with the urban blocks through a series of well programmed open spaces. A strong emphasis on retaining, respecting and enhancing the natural and built heritage is a key goal of the masterplan.
• Supporting active travel – a walkable and safe neighbourhood.
• Establishing the Limerick Link (a new urban pedestrian and cycleway) and social exchange along its route.
• An exemplar in sustainable design. A regenerative neighbourhood (quality living growing spaces, rainwater management, bio-diverse corridors and native planting)
• Designing for clean air with generous green spaces which promotewell-being
• The landscape is a key part of the place-making design with a thread of well-programmed open space which respond
to the existing context and knit together the proposed uses.
• A great place to live which provide local amenities and community infrastructure to support the new and existing neighbourhood.
• A design which provides a vibrant mix of uses, and which is also sensitive to the operations of the healthcare campus.
• The site’s unique natural and built heritage is celebrated in proposals.
• Designs seek to
maintain and enhance
existing landscape
features where
possible.