Limerick City & County Council engaged Tom Phillips + Associates (TPA) to prepare a full Planning Application for the mixed-use re-development of the ‘Opera’ site in the heart of Limerick’s city centre. The site occupies almost an entire city block and suffers in recent times from vacancy and dereliction. The buildings on site date from the Georgian period up to the mid-20^th century.

The site project involves the preservation and re-use of protected structures on site, the creation of a new urban plaza and the construction of a number of new buildings on site including a 14-storey landmark building. The proposed gross floor area of the scheme is c. 53,500 sq m comprising a diverse mix of uses including office, residential, aparthotel, restaurant/retail and a new city library.

TPA provided strategic planning advice in respect of the project and was responsible for the preparation and submission of a Section 175 planning application including EIAR to An Bord Pleanála. TPA also coordinated the submission of additional information and played a key role at the Oral Hearing stage of the project. The development was granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála in February 2020.