IDA seeks strategic Limerick land banks for client companies

A minimum of five sites up to 100 hectares are to be identified

BioPharmaceutical, Life Sciences, Medical Technology or Data Centres might be the potential uses for the identifies sites. Picture: Denis Scannell

IDA Ireland has begun the search to identify a number of key strategic land banks in Limerick.

The selected sites will be used to accommodate the development of large-scale utility intensive industries such as BioPharmaceutical and Life Sciences projects.

Medical Technology or Data Centres might be other potential uses for the identifies sites.

The IDA, who are responsible for driving inward investment, is seeking an engineering firm to carry out a site search of land banks in the West with shortlisted sites then being the subject of technical evaluation and master planning exercises.

They want a minimum of five sites extending to approximately 50 to 100 hectares in close proximity to an urban centre.

The tender documents said the appointment of a contractor will be subject to IDA Board approval and it is anticipated that this approval will be sought in September 2020 and an immediate start will be required on the project.

The land banks' location, current zoning, adjoining land uses, land ownership, access, environmental risks and cost will all form part of the site selection process.

"IDA Ireland is now seeking to appoint an Engineering Consultancy firm to identify suitable lands in Limerick for the development of large-scale client projects," the IDA said.

Last week IDA client company MeiraGTx, a gene therapy company announced a multi-million euro expansion in its Shannon facility.

The facility will be located at the Shannon Freezone Business Park in Clare comprising 8,300 square metres in two separate buildings for the manufacture of commercial-grade gene therapies

MeiraGTx said the first production facility is expected to be operational by year-end 2020, while the second will be operational by end of 2021.