Waterford City and County Council has granted planning permission to Harcourt Developments for a €200 million redevelopment of the North Quays in Waterford city, with construction set to begin by the end of the year.
The mixed-use proposal will mean the construction of nine blocks, including housing, hospitality and retail along the river Suir in the city centre. It was designed by Douglas Wallace Architects.
The plans include 350 apartments across six blocks separated by green spaces with a riverside boardwalk and link to the Waterford-New Ross Greenway.
Permission has also been given for a nine-storey, 160-room hotel. Another block will be a 163-room aparthotel.
The final block, separated from the apartments by a square, will feature office and retail spaces along with a childcare facility.
Two new civic plazas will also be built, Station Square and the Bridge Plaza, at the connection to a sustainable transport bridge which the council expects to be delivered from Belgium in May.
The project was described as “hugely significant” by Waterford City and County Council chief executive Seán McKeown.
“This is a momentous day for Waterford and the wider region,” he said, noting that the ongoing wider redevelopment of the north quay “is progressing well”.
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“This next phase of development on the North Quays is hugely significant as it amplifies the potential for jobs, investment, and residential and commercial development,” said Mr McKeown.
The council estimates that the direct benefit to the region from the construction project will be more than €350 million over the next six years. The building phase is expected to employ 200 people and create 1,500 jobs upon completion.
The lead designer of the project, Stephen Shally of Douglas Wallace Consultants, said: “Our design is part of an ambitious master plan for Waterford city, specifically crafted to create distinctive, memorable spaces that enrich the sense of place for residents and citizens.”
