Athlone city plan ramps up

Plans to turn Athlone into a modern green city by 2040 are entering a key phase, with a meeting with An Taoiseach likely to take place in the near future.

In an exclusive interview with the Westmeath Independent, Sean Mulryan, the chief executive and chairman of developers Ballymore, which is behind the ambitious blueprint, said he feels the political support and leadership is there to progress the concept.

The company said the next phase of the proposal would be to liaise with local stakeholders.

The company also believes that, ultimately, a special taskforce may be required to deliver the city, given the level of planning, zoning, funding and other requirements involved.

The proposal is for a modern, sustainable city of between 50,000 and 100,000 people by 2040, with all the elements of progressive urban centre, including improved walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure, and improved facilities.

It pivots on a huge expansion of the Athlone campus of Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), with student numbers mushrooming from 6,000 to 25,000.

Some 20,000 new homes are also envisioned in the longer-term.

“This is a blueprint for the next generation”

Developer Sean Mulryan may have a lengthy and distinguished career of delivery and achievement, but when he speaks of his vision for Athlone his enthusiasm shines through.

“It's an idea for Ireland, a blueprint for the next generation,” the Ballymore chief executive and chairman says, of his vision of Athlone as a new green city.

His passion for the project is evident – underlined by the fact that he is sitting down with a media outlet for one of less than a handful of interviews over the last two decades.

Mulryan says he has been working on the project for more than eight years, but it's clear activity is now being ramped up ahead of a critical period ahead.

In the near future, Ballymore is hoping to engage with the Taoiseach on the project, having already met with the Tánaiste, Minister for Housing, and Minister for Public Expenditure. Details have also been shared with senior policy makers across many sectors in Irish society.

Ballymore has assembled a high-powered team including international architects, economic firms and specialist advisory partners - evidence, if needed, of its commitment to the project.

It has also established a steering group, including Josephine Feehily, Chairperson of the Governing Body of Technological University of the Shannon, and former Executive Chair of the Revenue Commissioners; Adrian Jones, Chairman & Co-Head of Global Private Equity at Goldman Sachs; Joan Kehoe, founder and CEO at Alchelyst; Prof. Brian MacCraith, Senior Advisor to the President of Arizona State University (ASU), and former President of DCU; Jim Meade, CEO at Irish Rail; Linda Mulryan-Condron, Deputy Managing Director at Ballymore as well as Mulryan himself.

This is a serious proposition from an internationally-renowned development company, which has been willing to put itself in the firing line to propose a project that would utterly transform Athlone and its environs.

At this stage in his life and career, Mulryan's motivation for the Athlone 2040 project is more personal, and focused on the future of the country.

He confirmed Ballymore does not currently own land in Athlone, and does not intend to acquire any significant landbank, though it may consider building a scheme of some 120 homes, as a sign of its commitment to the town.

The company is keen to stress that a lot of the ideas for Athlone 2040 have been successfully completed in other countries and are tried and tested. What is proposed here, therefore, is to draw together the best of that international experience in one project.

It defends its approach to date, saying that it needed to develop the concept, and engage with senior political figures firstly to gauge the reaction, before bringing its plans to a local level.

Media coverage was prompted by word spreading on the proposal, and Ballymore is keen to stress that it will liaise fully with the Athlone community. “The next stage is to engage with locals,” Mulryan confirmed.

He brushes asides doubts on whether there is sufficient agility in Ireland's political, budgetary and planning systems to deliver an ambitious project of this magnitude.

“I think we do have the political people to deliver something like this, I have no doubt whatsoever,” he said. Indeed, he said the response to date from the political system has “been very positive, right across the board”.

What is required to make the vision a reality is significant political support, and Ballymore is suggesting the establishment of a special taskforce to drive forward the project.

It points to the experience both in Ireland and internationally of different procedures and vehicles established to bring largescale urban developments to life in a short timeframe. In the future, special powers may need to be devolved to a special created organisation, as was the case with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

Ballymore has history with largescale urban regeneration schemes. It worked in partnership with the Greater London Authority on effectively creating a new town along the London docklands in recent years and believes the scale and speed of that project demonstrates what can be achieved with collaboration between the public and private sectors.

There is a clear distinction though, as the company owned much of the land on which the London development was constructed.

In Athlone, bringing the concept of a new city to fruition would require a large number of disparate stakeholders, landowners, and local communities, buying into the vision.

Ballymore stressed that its proposal for Athlone is not simply more people and more housing, but a holistic approach, with all the elements of a great, modern, sustainable city.

But one thing is clear: it cannot happen without meaningful political support.