New look of Letterkenny town centre unveiled at public information event

A number of sites in Letterkenny will undergo transformations under the Letterkenny Regeneration Strategy 2040.

Artist impressions and plans for the town were unveiled at a public information event held by Donegal County Council in association with the HSE, Donegal ATU and Donegal ETB in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Letterkenny. The event included information on various Active Travel projects around the town as well as planned developments by Donegal County Council, the HSE and ATU Donegal.

Under plans for Letterkenny 2040, the Market Square will be reimagined as an open gathering space with possibility of market stalls returning and an outdoor performance area.

The former Courthouse building will become an educational discovery centre and will serve as a central cultural hub in the town. Donegal County Council has been allocated €7 million in funding for the project as part of a €90 million funding package announced by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne under THRIVE - the Town Centre First Heritage Revival Scheme. It is hoped that the revived courthouse building will become a tourist attraction, with plans for a community function building next to the courthouse.

A Cathedral Quarter Park and Creative Enterprise Hub is planned for the Cathedral Quarter in the town centre. The Creative Enterprise Hub has been described as “a home for the visual arts” in Letterkenny, with plans for a workshop space for artists, a cafe, writer’s pods, craft and artist studios and a gallery for local art.

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Additionally, a Business Innovation Quarter has been earmarked for Letterkenny. This includes a 17,500sq ft Alpha Innovation space to support start-up businesses, and a 43,000sq ft Beta Business space. There is a target of 400 to 500 new jobs to be provided in the Business Innovation Quarter.

Plans for the Business Innovation Quarter in Letterkenny

Letterkenny 2040 has been commissioned by Donegal County Council, led by the Regeneration and Development Team and is funded by the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF), a flagship initiative of Project Ireland 2040. It forms part of a wider programme of regeneration initiatives that are also supported by URDF and are being progressed including design and development of walking and cycling infrastructure, strategic land acquisition for the purposes of regeneration, reuse of the former courthouse and the redevelopment of Market Square.