Prodi to get aerial tour of ambitious riverside project

EUROPEAN Commission President Romano Prodi will be given an aerial tour of the ambitious €1 billion Limerick Riverside City Project today.

The project is an imaginative blueprint for a new cityscape in Limerick centred around the River Shannon and aimed at creating 5,000 jobs over the next nine years.

It focuses on developing the riverside and canals and projecting Limerick as a high-quality place to live, work, learn and enjoy leisure activities. The main features of the project are:

A river-based cityscape from the new river below the city centre to the docklands area, city quayside, King's Island and extending to the University of Limerick.

A new international services centre for the docklands, similar to the Dublin docklands incorporating private companies, IT and financial institutions.

An arts and performance centre for the quayside.

A 10-fold increase in the number of pleasure craft visiting the city.

The completion of Limerick's fourth river crossing, a tunnel under the Shannon by 2008 at a cost of €320 million.

A €50 million investment in King's Island.

The project is a partnership, involving Shannon Development, Limerick City Council, Limerick and Clare County Councils, Shannon Foynes Port Company, the University of Limerick and Waterways Ireland.

European Parliament president Pat Cox, who officially launched the project exactly a year ago, updated Mr Prodi on the progress of the project yesterday.

It has secured another €250m in funding over the past year, said Mr Cox. "Limerick as a gateway city makes real sense with bold vision and strong planning, the Limerick Riverside City Project is making things happen," he added.