The iconic 10-acre former Cleeves factory site is located on the northern bank of the River Shannon but will very much be part of the emerging city centre. The site connects both sides of the North Circular Road/O’Callaghan Strand and has a number of distinct character areas, including the historic Cleeves factory, the Shipyard site and the Salesian’s site. 

It has been in industrial use since the mid-nineteenth century and retains some of its historic and characterful old buildings including the landmark red brick chimney that dominates the Limerick city skyline on the side of the River Shannon. 

The site is zoned City Centre in the Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028. The vision for the site is for mixed use, including residential, office/commercial, and educational. It will also be a site for the people with a strong cultural offering and public realm. With careful, thoughtful, and creative planning, this site offers boundless potential which will emerge over the coming years to become one of the most interesting and talked-about developments in the Mid-West and Ireland. 

The site’s potential has been underscored by the commitment of €35m under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF) – a pivotal moment for a project of local, regional, and national significance. 

The key objectives for the project are:

• Accommodate a mix of uses including residential, commercial, cultural, community and educational spaces
• Revitalise and redevelop the area by delivering a world class proposal for this key strategic city centre site
• Build a strong local economy through the creation of employment and new local attractions
• Encourage and facilitate new business investment
• Retain and integrate the historic buildings and industrial heritage on the site
• Develop a public realm that relates and links to the city core and the River Shannon
• Implement a high‐quality urban design solution
• Develop sustainable and innovative design solutions which reflect the site’s strategic location in the urban core

The Project Team was appointed in September 2020 following Limerick Twenty Thirty’s acquisition of the site. An Options Appraisal identified site constraints and redevelopment opportunities, confirming its suitability for mixed-use development. This informed the Masterplan, which was shared during public engagement sessions in March 2023, where over 150 attendees provided 60+ submissions.  

The Masterplan for Cleeves Riverside Quarter was officially published in November 2023.