Boxpark Limerick - just one idea for regeneration of old city site
Council calls for 'meanwhile use' of old CIE club
AN URBAN farm, a community garden, or a pop-up shopping mall?
Just three uses proposed for a derelict former social club in the city.
Councillors have agreed to write to Jim Meade, the boss of Irish Rail, which owns the CIE Sports and Social Club in Carey’s Road which has lain idle for a number of years to push him to take action on the site.
Following the passing of a motion from Fine Gael councillor Sarah Kiely, they want to see the area given a ‘meanwhile’ use while a full development plan is done up for the overall area, which includes the former Guinness site.
‘Meanwhile’ use refers to the temporary utilisation of vacant or underused properties before they are permanently repurposed or redeveloped.
“Many councillors in this chamber have highlighted the CIE Club over the years, it is now time we took the bull by the horns and demand action on this site,” Cllr Kiely told this month’s metropolitan district meeting.
As it stands, the City East councillor says the building looks “appallingly bad”.
“Meanwhile spaces can be converted into community gardens or urban farms, especially in cities where green space is tight, the Carey’s Road site could be used for this,” she suggested.
Cllr Kiely pointed out that St Saviour’s parish volunteers had raised flower beds there.
She identified the Boxpark venues in the London suburbs of Wembley, Shoreitch and the town of Croydon as a famous ‘meanwhile use’. These venues use re-purposed shipping containers to create a pop-up mall with shops, restaurants and event spaces which, she added, are adaptable to the changing needs of an area.