21 Oct Key project in Limerick’s ongoing transformation unveiled as plans for Cleeves Riverside Quarter revealed to public
- Public to get sight of exciting final plans at information event ahead of planning permission being submitted next week
- Est. €400m plus programme to put Cleeves Riverside Quarter on a par with top European mix-use city developments
- Planning application to include residential, student accommodation and significant public realm
Tuesday 21 October 2025: Final plans for the much anticipated and largest development under the Limerick Twenty Thirty programme, the €400m plus Cleeves Riverside Quarter, are set to be unveiled.
After a comprehensive master-planning and design programme, Limerick Twenty Thirty (LTT) will formally submit a planning application for the 10acre site on the banks of the Shannon next week.
In keeping with its commitment to public engagement, LTT will reveal the much-anticipated plan first at a Public Information Event at The Flaxmill building in Cleeves Riverside Quarter, North Circular Road this Wednesday from 12:30pm to 2pm and from 5pm to 7pm. For those unable to attend in person, the public information boards are available on the Limerick Twenty Thirty website.
The public has had significant input through several rounds of public engagement, most recently the master-planning process in 2023 and the two non-statutory public consultation sessions held earlier this year in June 2025. Attendees at the information event this week will view the plans before they are submitted to An . It is hoped that a planning decision will be finalised before the end of 2026.
A separate briefing of elected members will be given on Thursday, with the plans then being formally lodged next week.
The first phase of the project involves heritage works on the iconic Flaxmill building, seeing the stabilisation, consolidation and repair of the upper storey and roof. The contractor for the heritage works are already selected, and work is expected to commence later this year. Phase three will see the development of the Technological University of Shannon Campus providing student facilities and college lecture spaces within the Flaxmill, Infiltration Gallery and North Circular Road plots. The development of the shipyard site adjacent to Cleeves Riverside Quarter will be the fourth and final phase of the project.
Commenting, Mayor of Limerick John Moran said, “It is great news to see the planning application for this disused site. Given the growing positivity about Limerick’s future, we need more anchors for enterprise and development. They really won’t come any bigger than Cleeves Riverside Quarter. This, by any city standards, especially with plans for the news pedestrian bridge, is a phenomenal site, located on the banks of the River Shannon, in what is effectively the city centre.”LTT Chair James Collins said, “Limerick Twenty Thirty has delivered landmark projects for the city, including the award-winning Gardens International and One Opera Square, with further development at Opera Square ongoing. While most of our projects have primarily focused on commercial office space, Cleeves represents a significant step in addressing Limerick’s urgent need for new homes and student accommodation, meeting the growing demand for quality, accessible places to live. Alongside its commercial offering, the project will also deliver a major new public realm, opening up the riverside for the whole community.”
CEO of Limerick Twenty Thirty Enda Power said, “Cleeves Riverside Quarter is the next step in Limerick Twenty Thirty’s mission to drive the city’s regeneration through ambitious and sustainable development. It responds directly to Limerick’s growing demand for high quality housing and student accommodation, while creating a new mixed-use quarter that strengthens the economic and cultural core of the city. This is regeneration with impact — delivering tangible social and economic outcomes for Limerick.”
Director General of Limerick City and County Council Pat Daly said, “We have big ambition for Limerick and the projects we are developing through Limerick Twenty Thirty reflects that. A new Limerick is unfolding and the Cleeves Riverside Quarter plans we are submitting is confirmation of that and will give huge impetus to the city’s ongoing transformation.”
The estimated €400million programme has significant funding approved under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF). Subject to funding and market demand, it could be developed over a 6-year timeframe and will be the largest inner-city project ever undertaken in Limerick and one of the largest in the State.
Cleeves Riverside Quarter is one of Limerick’s most recognisable sites, synonymous for its 142ft red-bricked chimney stack, which remains the emblem for what was one of Ireland’s largest industrial sites of the 19th century, designed and built for up to 6,000 workers.
It was home to the famous Cleeves Condensed Milk Company, which had 3,000 employees on its payroll and sourced its raw material from 3,000 farmers across Ireland. The site also has significant political heritage, having been one of the key locations for the Limerick Soviet of 1919.
While the site has remained largely undeveloped in recent years, it has played host to a variety of interim uses since the site was acquired by Limerick Twenty Thirty in 2021, from cultural events to charitable initiatives, reflecting its enduring value to the community and its potential as a dynamic urban space.