Up to 500 accommodation units to be delivered as part of plans for new city centre university campus in Limerick

In 2025, LTT will submit the first of its two-phased planning application for the site, located on O’Callaghan Strand/North Circular Road. Phase 1 will include public realm, housing and heritage works, with Phase 2 to include the LTT-TUS partnership.

The design teams have already been working together on the project, which would see up to 1,700 students located on the site. In total, some 500 accommodation units will be in the overall development, with almost half of them student accommodation.

The TUS element, which will be subject to funding from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and other sources, is centred on the historic Cleeves Riverside Quarter Flaxmill Site in Limerick.

LTT was established as a special-purpose vehicle of Limerick City and County Council to plan and develop strategic sites across Limerick and has committed with TUS, which operates seven campuses throughout the Midwest, to explore the potential development of a Higher Education Campus and related support service buildings.

Conn Murray, Chairman of LTT said, “Our mandate is to be an enabler of economic growth in Limerick by developing ourselves or partnering with other developers to deliver key strategic sites that can act as catalysts for economic growth.

"This partnership with TUS, will be a brilliant proof point of what we are seeking to do. It will bring over 1,700 students into the city centre, which will help with the transformation of the city into one of the most vibrant urban centres in Ireland."

TUS President Professor Vincent Cunnane said, “Our participation in the Cleeves Riverside Quarter project is very much in line with our mission and our continued expansion.

"LTT is a fitting partner for us as we have shared goals, and while there is much to do to realise this Cleeves Riverside Quarter project, we are committed to and passionate about its potential to deliver for Limerick."

The 10-acre Cleeves Riverside Quarter is one of Limerick’s most recognisable sites, synonymous for its 142-ft red-bricked chimney stack, which remains the emblem for what was one of Ireland’s largest industrial sites of the 19th century, designed and built for up to 6,000 workers. 

It was home to the famous Cleeves Toffee and the Condensed Milk Company, which had 3,000 employees on its payroll and sourced its raw material from 3,000 farmers across Ireland. 

The site also has significant political heritage, having been one of the key locations in the Limerick Soviet of 1919.