Limerick direct provision centre earmarked for student apartments

The direct provision management contract was terminated after claims the Westbourne management had failed to ensure the health and safety of residents at the former Westbourne Holiday Hostel. Photo: Liam Burke/Press22

A former direct provision centre in Limerick has been earmarked for development into a suite of student apartments.

Mary Immaculate College has confirmed plans to develop the former Westbourne Holiday Hostel into a 68-bed student apartment building. The college said it hoped the development would help bridge a gap in student accommodation in the city, while increasing its student accommodation to almost 200 rooms.

Last week, it emerged that third-level students were forking out up to €400 per week to stay in hotels. Mary Immaculate College said it was in the “advanced stages” of a deal to purchase the centre from Galway firm Alber Developments.

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Find out more on the @maryisu website: https://t.co/PX0xTkj67m pic.twitter.com/ih6e5t95XN

— Mary Immaculate College (MIC) (@MICLimerick) September 15, 2021

The DP centre was closed over health and safety fears in 2017. It had been run by Westbourne Holiday Hostel Ltd, whose loans were sold by Nama to a subsidiary of US vulture fund Oaktree Capital Management Ltd, and was later purchased by Alber Developments.

The direct provision management contract was terminated by the Department of Justice on January 25, 2017, after claims the Westbourne management had failed to ensure the health and safety of residents.

John Randles, Mary I’s accommodation manager confirmed the college was in “advanced stages” of negotiating the purchase of the building, adding “we’ve been trying to get our hands on the property for 10 years”.

Mary I also provides 36 student rooms at its campus in Thurles, Co. Tipperary and 90 units at Courtbrack Avenue, near the Limerick campus.

Mr Randles said the college hoped the additional 68 units would be ready to go ahead of the start of the next academic year, in September 2022.

“We’re in negotiation with Alber to provide 68 bedrooms, small apartments, with four bedrooms in each. Each apartment will have two shower rooms and a kitchen/sitting room,” Mr Randles added.

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“The Covid-19 pandemic has decreased the market enormously, because people who own those student houses couldn't wait a year and half to wait to see if the students were going to go back to their properties, so they had to rent to the private market — that’s why students are at a loss now.” 

Mr Randles explained that in a normal year, pre-Covid, he would have normally have a list of 100 rental properties for students, but that this year he was forced to place adverts in local newspapers to attract landlords after only 39 properties were available for students.

There are 5,000 students currently studying at Mary I, however the number of students who are staying in hotel accommodation is not known.

Mr Randles said he understood Alber would carry out the planned refurbishment works at the former Westbourne centre, as part of the new development deal.

Alber did not respond to requests for comment.