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5.0 Project Deliverables

It is accepted that Gateway development involves more than physical infrastructure. The development of the physical environment, the economic environment and the cultural and recreational infrastructure are key components of delivering a city that is a vibrant and attractive urban location. The vision of Sligo encompasses six key themes. This proposal will deliver under each of these themes.


Delivering a Compact City

Each of the four elements within this submission supports the delivery of a Compact City. The provision of high quality infrastructure – roads, bridge, car parking, cultural and recreational facilities and the enhancement of the urban core are fundamental to achieving potential as a Gateway City. The delivery of these facilities to a high standard and the promotion of mixed use developments in underutilized sites within the urban core will ensure that Sligo achieves its vision as a Compact City.

Delivering a City for the People

All actions within this proposal will ensure that Sligo becomes a City for the People.

Pedestrianisation and enhancement of streets are tools for development. By making streets more accessible, pedestrians will use them more, street level business will improve and in turn the overall quality of life will be enhanced. Walkable streets promote face-to-face interactions essential to the excitement of urban life. They encourage social interactions by providing a public forum. In addition people take pride and assume ownership of walkable city centres. Pedestrian-friendly streets are an excellent way to stay fit and healthy.

The strong focus on enterprise development will increase investment and will deliver jobs for the people of the city.

The delivery of the Cultural Quarter and Cleveragh Regional Park will provide for the social and cultural needs of those living in, working in and visiting the city.

Delivering an Accessible City

The Garvoge river fronts should become the pedestrian spine of Sligo. By consolidating the city core areas located on the north bank, and providing additional links in the form of the Eastern Crossing and several foot bridges, a highly permeable pedestrian core will be delivered. This will allow people to enjoy a choice of routes and public spaces with unique, identifiable characters.

This application supports the delivery of a traffic distribution system encompassing the Eastern Bridge and associated roads. This system is feasible by routing the south-side approach road to the Eastern Crossing through lands currently occupied by the racecourse. These lands have outstanding potential for the creation of a high-quality urban quarter, in conjunction with the designated urban regeneration area of Cranmore. By providing access on the Eastern quarter the lands opened up will provide significant opportunities to maximize the potential economic, social and cultural development of the Cranmore Regeneration area.

The closing of O’Connell Street to vehicular traffic has removed a significant barrier for pedestrians moving from the riverside towards the main shopping precinct. True pedestrianisation of the street will involve a substantial reconfiguration of the urban space defined by it. An “inner ring” will keep through-traffic out of the shopping, recreational and cultural core, with multi-storey parking structures located in strategic areas. The ring will provide direct vehicular connections between shopping and cultural facilities on the one hand, and the transit “backbone” of the Inner Relief Road on the other. The main urban spaces proposed within the Cultural Quarter will include a wide Cultural Street and a Civic Space with an Outdoor Performance area. The street includes active public uses, and places to work and live, ensuring both day and evening activity. The new square will give prominence to the new cultural buildings and the design will ensure that the County Museum building will act as a landmark within the city.

Delivering a Green City

The creation of a Regional Park incorporating Doorly Park, the regional sports centre, a water park, outdoor activity area and Cleveragh Woodlands on the banks of the Garvoge will be an extremely valuable contribution to the quality of life of Sligo residents, visitors and those living in the region. Cleveragh Regional Park is the most important component of the green recreational infrastructure envisioned in the SEDP for the city. It will strengthen the spinal role of Garvoge River, facilitating walking and cycling on quasi-continuous routes from Lough Gill through the town core and in the future to the estuary and Sligo Bay.

Improved public transport routes within the Eastern Fringe will provide an alternative to the car and reduce emissions. The framework plan for the Cultural Quarter has been designed so that development blocks and major public buildings will form a sheltered microclimate affording individual buildings to make best use of solar gain. The design includes the use of extensive green roofs to help reduce atmospheric dust and attenuate rain water, to provide thermal insulation, and control water run-off. A control of the water cycle is promoted through rainwater collection, and reuse of grey water within the site.

Delivering a Creative City

The building of a Cultural Quarter, while contributing substantially to the consolidation of the town core will significantly address a cultural infrastructural deficit in the city and the region. While providing a public-oriented educational hub for heritage and culture programmes and activities, it will also be a new cultural venue. This will used for events which will augment the quality of life of the citizens of Sligo and visitors to the County while enhancing the profile of heritage related, cultural and arts initiatives in the region. The development of the museum and works at the Model::Niland will enhance the cultural infrastructure in the North-West. Buildings such as these are key engines, driving the development of the arts and of public engagement with the arts especially. Public arts venues, as well as artist’s workspaces, can be instrumental in ensuring high quality production and presentation. They are important elements within the public infrastructure that defines a place as attractive to live and work in, or to visit.

Delivering an Enterprising City

Delivery of the projects within the GIF will provide confidence in the region and will encourage investment in the city. By providing additional retail, commercial and residential space, the opportunity exists for those who wish to invest in and work in the city.

Implementation of the Enterprise Strategy will provide targeted responses to the needs of the city while opening opportunities for enterprise to develop. The 3-Centred Incubation (3C) project will focus on development of the creative industries. Implementation of the Enterprise Strategy will provide targeted responses to the needs of the city while opening opportunities for enterprise to develop. The 3C project will focus on development of the creative industries.

The provision of quality urban spaces – pedestrianised streets, inner urban parks and paved squares – with unique, identifiable characteristics, that maximize linkages and permeability of the urban core, can thus help to create the sort of dynamic urban environment that will appeal to a young, creative and talented workforce.

In addition:

  • The investment of €69,616,000 by the GIF will lever an additional €119m to include local authority, other public and private investment.
  • The Eastern Bridge and approach roads will support the delivery of 3,375 residential units, 300,000 sq. metres commercial and service 54.81 hectares of land zoned business/industrial.
  • The opening up of the Cleveragh lands (circa 29 hectares) will assist in the delivery of the regeneration proposal of the Cranmore area.
  • The Regional Park will deliver 92.15 hectares of recreation space for the city.
  • The Cultural Quarter will provide 800 car parking spaces, a Civic Plaza and 25,800 sq. metres of residential and commercial development. This will include 9,200 sq. metres of residential space (92 units).
  • The Cultural Quarter will deliver city scale cultural and recreational facilities to support a growing population.
  • The enhancement of O’Connell Street will create a more appealing urban and retail location. This will encourage higher foot fall rates. It will open up new commercial areas including the Centre Block Development and facilitate the development of under-utilised sites in the urban core.
  • All projects within the proposal will improve connectivity in the city.
  • The development of Cleveragh Regional Park will contribute to the achievement of wider urban policy objectives, including youth development, public health and community building.
  • The pedestrian and cycle-way routes provided by Cleveragh Regional Park will link communities and create an interconnected network of parks. A strong green transport link will be created with benefits for tourism development and connectivity for developing communities at Ballinode and the North Fringe of the city.

aerial view photo of Sligo


 
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