Waterfront city vision outlined

Date Published: 24-Dec-2009

THE Galway Harbour Company envisages that the proposed €200 million redevelopment of the docks will allow 50 cruise liners to visit Galway City every year – the ships will each be able to carry 5,000 passengers and have a potential economic spin-off of more than €40 million.

Harbour Master Brian Sheridan also believes that the value of goods, mainly oil, passing through the City harbour would triple once the ambitious redevelopment is complete, rising from €4 billion in 2009 to €12 billion worth of goods between 2015 and 2030.

Captain Sheridan says staff at the Harbour will increase from 16 now to 50 and the numbers of full-time employees at the Harbour Enterprise Park will jump from 300 to 500.

He was outlining the Harbour Company’s vision at a presentation to Galway County Council of the transformed dockland of a “waterfront city with flagship and landmark buildings” and a new marina.

In his presentation at Monday’s Council meeting, Capt Sheridan outlined the Board’s plans for the 32 acres ‘vision lands’ at the city docks, which will be developed to create a “vibrant harbour village”. There will be a fifty/fifty spilt between commercial and cruise-liner business.

He said just two cruise ships docked in the city this year, compared to 57 in 1936 but once the new marina and revamped docks is completed, a cruise ship per week with as many as 5,000 tourists will arrive in the city every year, pumping between €40 million and €50 million into the city and county economy.

The new docks will be crucial for attracting the Volvo Ocean Race to the city in 2012 and other major maritime and tourists festivals and events.

Capt Sheridan said the new development will be fully integrated with the planned redevelopment of Ceannt Station and the Harbour Board is working closely with CIE and Galway City Council to progress the proposals.

The scale of the project has been significantly scaled-back since its original conception and will cost in the region of €200 million, to be entirely self-financed through the sale of lands owned by the Harbour Company.

Planning applications for phase one and two of the project will be lodged by next April or May and plans will go on public display in January.

Several Connemara Area County Councillors cautiously welcomed the plan but were fearful that the development of Ros a’ Mhíl Harbour would be ‘sidelined’ as a result of the city investment.

But Capt Sheridan reassured members that both the city docks and Ros a’ Mhíl have distinct functions and both could be developed without affecting each other.

See also

• ‘City chosen as sailing centre of Excellence’ on page 7 of this week’s City Tribune