Experts to chart vision for town's future

Offaly County Council is in the process of hiring architectural and urban design specialists to come up with a regeneration blueprint for the centre of Tullamore.

The local authority recently went out to tender for the project, which will focus in particular on eight "opportunity sites" in the town.

The sites were listed by the council as: Grand Canal Harbour site; former 'Texas' site; Lands behind High St/O'Moore St; Lands south of O'Connor Square; Railway lands; Coen Site; Lands behind the Court House; and Tanyard lands.

These opportunity sites have the potential to be redeveloped “as high density mixed-use developments” and could breathe new life into the heart of Tullamore.

"The redevelopment of the Grand Canal Harbour site in particular has potential for a flagship enterprise, recreation, residential, public realm and tourism related development," stated the council in the tender documents.

"The integrated urban development of Tullamore town centre will increase potential new retail options and overnight stay of visitors.

"This will address liveability and encourage evening and night time entertainment providers to provide new facilities and to increase the opening hours of existing night time businesses."

The tender documents, issued on March 31, call for an "architectural and urban design consultancy service" to produce a "concise framework report" that would outline "a vision for Tullamore town centre to 2040" and would "lead to future development of a variety of projects."

Consultants have until May 19 next to bid for the project, which is funded by the council and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

Offaly County Council said the successful candidate would be paid a lump sum of up to €200,000 (€162,000 excluding VAT), and would have to deliver the final framework report within ten months.

"The Tullamore Regeneration Framework will be the principal impetus for compact mixed use urban development in the town centre of Tullamore, for the regeneration of vacant, derelict and underutilised town centre sites and actively promoting the bringing back of vacant buildings to use in a coherent and integrated manner," stated the council.

It added that the consultant hired to produce the framework plan would be expected to consult with "relevant stakeholders including the private sector, public bodies and semi-state bodies."