Waterford Fine Gael Senator John Cummins has welcomed the imminent commencement of works on the former Waterford Crystal offices and showrooms on the Cork Road in Waterford City. The site, which has sat idle since the closure of Waterford Crystal in 2010 will be transformed into 100,000 square feet of Grade A NZEB interchangeable office space.
Senator Cummins said “The news that construction is commencing on this site in the coming weeks will be welcomed by the entire Waterford community. This building was once the symbol of Waterford; however, it has been vacant and derelict for far too long. The reality is the acquisition of 20 acres of the site by government for use by SETU has brought certainty to the future of the wider site and has given Frisby Construction the confidence and resources to drive on with the redevelopment of this iconic building which will be given a new lease of life”.
“This project received planning permission in 2019 and will consist of 5 floors of flexible Grade A office accommodation which can be geared towards one or multiple companies. This is the first of many buildings which will be developed on this site which will be home to the ‘University Enterprise and Innovation quarter’. The idea of 17 acres of this 37 acre site remaining in private ownership is that complimentary building solutions can be delivered outside of the public procurement process. This will enable a cluster of enterprisesto develop which have strong links with our new university”.
Senator Cummins added “There is no question that Arc Labs at Carriganore have been a huge success in creating an ecosystem where tech companies can develop and grow. We have seen some fantastic examples of companies that have been spun out over the years. However there needs to be ready made building solutions for companies that grow too large to be housed there and these offices are an ideal fit in my opinion. Companies could still maintain that link with SETU while having the space to grow and expand their operations, creating space for the next generation of new companies at Carriganore.
He concluded by saying “I want to wish the project team the very best with the redevelopment of this prominent building located on the entry into our city. There is no question that this is an exciting time for Waterford and this first building within what will be the university enterprise and innovation quarter is an important milestone”.