€40 million mixed-use development for Listowel

Shopping Centres: Listowel, Co Kerry is to undergo significant new development with the creation of a "new quarter" adjacent to the existing town.

The €40 million mixed-use development will provide 3,716sq m (40,000sq ft) of community and leisure facilities, plus retail shopping units and a further 4,645sq m (50,000sq ft) for a major anchor retail outlet.

The goal of the scheme for the north Kerry heritage town is "bridging past and future", according to James Toomey, director of James Toomey Architects who will be designing the development.

It will be created in a six-acre space to the north of the existing town, which the council has targeted as an area of expansion to accommodate Listowel's future growth. The proposed new quarter will enhance the future development of Listowel, which is expected to be along the axis of the old and new quarters, says Toomey. Drawing on the traditions of Listowel as a market town and on its cultural and literary heritage, plans for Listowel's new quarter involve both commercial and community-focused activities.

It will cater for projected population growth in Listowel and its environs of 25,000, and will cater for the needs of the entire community with a meeting space, a crèche, cafés, restaurants and other leisure facilities, including gym and sauna amenities, and a multi-purpose community hall.

The architecture of Listowel's new quarter will be of high quality contemporary design and include a terraced landscaped area with its own courtyard entrance, and over 430 car-parking spaces. It will add significant new commercial space to the town that will serve locals but also Listowel's significant tourism industry as a major north Kerry destination.

The retail units will be somewhat different than existing shops, Toomey points out. They will be of a size not available in Listowel, but are required by current trends. Regardless, the overall development is expected to create more than 600 additional jobs in the town.

The new retail element is expected to serve as a magnet for visitors and attract people to the town from the whole north Kerry area. It will also improve convenience for locals who will not have to travel further afield for the services the new quarter will provide.

"Not only should this new development entice funds into Listowel, but also prevent an outpouring of consumer spending, as well as contributing to Listowel's future development as a focal point for visitors and tourists to north Kerry," says Toomey.

As a major part of the scheme, some 929sq m (10,000sq ft) of finished space is being given over to the county council as the community hall for the people of Listowel's use. It is envisaged that this will be used for local cultural facilities, such as a theatre for the town's three drama groups, and for literary events and poetry readings.

"In this way," says Toomey, "we aim to provide a focus for all sorts of activities, augmenting the town's existing resources."