€30m price tag for planned Hodson Bay waterfront park
Lead consultant appointed on project
The largescale waterfront park planned for the Hodson Bay area is to cost in the region of €30m, it has emerged.
The ambitious project is being managed by Roscommon County Council, in conjunction with Waterways Ireland.
Civic Engineers Ltd has been appointed as the lead consultant on the project, with the official signing of contract documents taking place on Tuesday, May 13.
Initial estimates suggest the project will cost €30m and subject to planning consent being secured, Roscommon County Council and Waterways Ireland will investigate all funding opportunities to progress the project elements to construction. Roscommon County Council confirmed that funding of €1.39m has already been approved for the development of the ambitious new waterfront park. The council and Waterways Ireland are providing a combined match funding of €320,000, with the balance of €1.07m funding provided by Fáilte Ireland under the EU Just Transition Fund Regenerative Tourism and Placemaking Scheme.
The initial funding will support the development of the multifaceted project on the Hodson Bay waterfront area through design, environmental evaluation, economic analysis and a planning consent phase.
The proposed development comprises four main elements. The first of which, the promenade development, aims to enhance the visitor experience through the development of a continuous promenade along the length of the shore.
This element will also focus on the improvement and redevelopment of the shoreline and providing public access to the River Shannon, creating a pedestrian priority environment. The approach will be achieved by reducing vehicle traffic, re-location of car parking and creation of a low-speed driving environment.
The second element of this ambitious development will be the design of the marina development which will entail the creation of improved facilities for boats and the development of access to the water from land and vice versa.
The project will further develop, improve and extend the existing marina to be capable of hosting approximately 50 new berths for cruisers and visiting craft and to provide some new boat servicing and commercial facilities that provide a service experience that one would expect within a major inland waterway hub.
A central focus of the development proposal is a new watersports pavillion that enhances the necessary infrastructure to facilitate an expansion of water activities such as boating and swimming with the provision of amenities including toilets, showers and a café.
The landscape surrounding the building is formed of a plaza space with soft landscape areas and a board walk with steps down onto the water providing a continuous waterside circulation and connection along the lake shore.
The fourth and final element of the commission proposes a revised access strategy for the redeveloped Hodson Bay area to promote a sustainable and inclusive use of all, redeveloping the Hodson Bay area to be as sustainable and ‘green’ as possible, to enable a safe environment for non-motorised users, and to create a link at Hodson Bay with the proposed new Lough Ree Greenway.
The proposed development will now proceed to the design and planning phase with a core objective of a creating a best in class development that will help support and enhance tourism and economic developments for Hodson Bay and the wider midlands region in a balanced and sustainable way.
The development will also align in line with the objectives and ambition of the Shannon Tourism Masterplan 2020 to 2030 and Ireland Hidden Heartlands Regional development Strategy 2023 to 2027.