Funding being sought for Northgate Street digital hub
Work is getting underway on a business plan for a proposed digital hub and remote working centre at the former RTC campus building on Athlone's Northgate Street, it has emerged.
Cllr Aengus O'Rourke, who queried progress on the long-standing proposal at a recent meeting of the Athlone/Moate Municipal District of Westmeath County Council, was informed the plan for the centre's commercial operation would take a number of months to compile.
He was told that a draft design for the project has been prepared and that Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) and Westmeath County Council had met with Enterprise Ireland to explore funding opportunities.
The design team involved is now preparing a preliminary business plan.
“Subject to a successful business plan, a planning application will follow,” the council, said in a written response to Cllr O'Rourke's question. It added that an application for an allocation from the Just Transition Fund for site clearance works had also been submitted.
The Fianna Fáil councillor had asked what the next steps would be, and for timelines for the work, on foot of a previous update in September last, which indicated that designs were being finalised.
“It is intended that the Municipal District will arrange for a presentation to the Members at the earliest opportunity, once the design and business case are complete,” the council concluded.
The prominent former RTC site, which was once home to the art and design department, and some years prior to that was the old Tech school building, has fallen into major disrepair in recent years.
There has been concerns for many years over both anti-social behaviour at the site, ongoing vandalism and the dilapidated appearance of the site in a prime town centre location.
Last year, TUS carried out works to make the premises more secure and safe including an internal clean-up of the building, the removal of asbestos from the building, the demolition have prefabs and an external clean up of the site.
A feasibility study was previously drawn up to repurpose the landmark site into the digital co-working enterprise hub, with the assistance of funding from Chamber of Commerce and the Just Transition Fund.