Killarney's multi-million euro redevelopment to include primary care centre
An Killarney High Aerial Photo Street Of
Plans for a 1,000 sq metre theatre for Killarney, educational facility, cafe, offices, underground car park, and a performance plaza were outlined at a council meeting on Wednesday morning as part of multi-million euro redevelopment of a building and site once owned by the Fransiccans.
The meeting was also told that the HSE has agreed in principle to locate a primary care centre for GPs in the mixed-use development which will eventually see the site redeveloped entirely.
The Áras Phádraig building, once a busy theatre and performance space, has been lying idle since it was donated to the town council by the Franciscan Order in 2009, largely because of legal difficulties.
It was last used as a count centre for the 2009 local election count centre for the then town council elections, the meeting heard.
A previous meeting was told that the overall cost of what will be a three-block development with a centre plaza and performance area was likely to be more than €50m.
Costs are set to increase with current building inflation, this morning’s meeting was told.
Funding of €21.5m has been approved in principle for the theatre, plaza, and underground car park first phase as part of other public works in the town under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund for Killarney, with some €5.5m of the money coming from the council.
The HSE would lead the primary care part of the proposal with the council providing the serviced site, town engineer David Doyle outlined.
HSE plans for a primary care centre was a surprise to them, councillors said.
Previous meetings have heard concern about existing HSE owned buildings including empty St Finan’s psychiatric building and about the community hospital, which will also be vacated.
Mr Doyle said a primary care centre in the town centre would be of great benefit economically and the council would be providing the serviced site.
A multi-storey car park, with up to 600 spaces, was envisaged, but to secure grant aid, the need would have to be established, he said:
Such a key building in the town would have to be “a signature building,” that would stand the test of time, Mr Doyle said, in response to the suggestion by Cllr Niall O’Callaghan (Ind) that the theatre and associated buildings would have to be stand out buildings to do credit to the existing town.
President of the Killarney Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, Cllr Niall Kelleher (FF) strongly urged council management to deliver the multi-storey car park in tandem with the rest of the project.
There was an outstanding need for a multi-storey car park in Killarney and income would be generated from it, he said.
The council should consider a public private partnership for this aspect, Cllr Kelleher said.
Mayor of Killarney, Cllr Marie Moloney (Lab) said they were not talking about “Knockreer Estate” , and she urged the plans be progressed with some degree of speed.
“The car park is essential. It has to be part of the first phase,” Cllr Moloney said.
“Why are we waiting for another stage for designs? Be working on it now!"
Cllr Moloney also said GPs must be included in consultations and asked if the proposals included a pharmacy.
It will be 2025/2026 before the theatre, and educational facility which is in the first phase, opens, the meeting was told.
Angela McAllen, town manager, said there was need to do the project in phases. A large-scale public project of this nature had to comply with the constraints of public spending criteria, she said.
It was “hugely positive” the HSE was on board to do a primary care centre, the manager said.
Further approval from the URDF fund and securing planning would be the next steps. The project would go to tender in mid 2023, it was envisaged.