Regeneration projects can breathe new life into Mullingar - says chamber

The regeneration of Blackhall Place and Columb Barracks has the potential to breathe new life into the centre of Mullingar and to boost the towns social and economic fortunes for generations to come.

That's according to the chairman of Mullingar Chamber of Commerce, John Geoghegan, who believes that the hundred million euro plus projects could be the catalyst for a new chapter in the town's history by attracting hundreds of people into its centre to live and providing long term employment for hundreds more.

“It's huge for the town. The Aradonagh Group recently announced that it was creating 50 or 60 jobs [in its new data and risk management centre]. Mullingar is moving on. We are stepping it up a gear now and with the regeneration of Columb Barrack and Blackhall the town has massive potential. It just needs to drive on.”

A key component of both projects is the provision of residential accommodation, Mr Geoghegan says that increasing the number of people living in the centre is vital to the town's future prosperity.

“The big thing is to get people living in the centre of the town going forward. For too long the town centre has been ignored as a place to live. When you look at the European model where people live over shops, it's great. Then you don't need a car, you can walk to the shops and other places. There is so much logic to it.”

In its submission to Westmeath County Council on the regeneration of Blackhall, the chamber proposes that any residential development should have a focus on providing accommodation for elderly people.

“There are a lot of people out there living in four bedroomed detached houses on their own. They could be living in a nice one bed apartment in the centre of town. It would be a much better use of resources.”

Mr Geoghegan is the chamber's representative on the Land Development Agency [LDA] Advisory Group on Columb Barracks. He says that the barracks has “massive potential” and that the delivery of a third level education or high level training centre for apprentices has to be at its core.

“It could become a new outpost of AIT's new technological university. They are in Thurles and Ennis now as well as Limerick and Athlone. If Mullingar could come under that umbrella it would be unbelievable. We are tyring to bring as much pressure to bear to get that done. You need a big guy and education is a logical fit where we have no third level.

“We have had great support from Liz Lavery in the ETB and also the likes of Ministers Peter Burke and Robert Troy in pushing that agenda.”

The chamber has proposed that a museum be established that would highlight Mullingar's rich military and musical heritage.

The preservation of the barracks' history and celebrating the town's musical heroes is “front and centre” of what the chamber wants to achieve, Mr Geoghegan says.

“We need to be ambitious with the barracks and that is what the chamber is committed to it as a project. It's important that we lock in and support a logical outcome,” he said.

Columb Barracks

In its submission to the Land Development Agency on the regeneration of the barracks, the chamber estimates that the €100m project could create up to 100 new jobs, through the establishment of a “centre of excellence for the built environment, an education centre, incubation space or remote working hub”.

“Currently Mullingar has no real third level education provision and we feel this offers an outstanding opportunity to deliver a facility in this space for these sectors that could also knit well with the new national apprenticeship strategy where a new emphasis is being made on apprenticeships as valid career routes to address key skills shortages in the economy. This could be led by LWETB or come under the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, or a mixture of both. Mullingar Chamber estimates if a new build facility of 10,000sq.m. were to be developed for this it would be a capital investment of in excess of EUR30m and employ in excess of 100 full time staff and inject a further EUR5m per annum to the local economy and could train or educate over 1,000 candidates on an annual basis,” the submission states.

In addition to the establishment of an educational centre, the chamber believes that up to 200 housing units to accommodate over 600 people could be developed on the campfield site at the rear of the barracks and that the current buildings in the main barracks should be used for other purposes.

“The rationale behind this approach [all housing in the camp field location] is that we feel the economic delivery of housing in the old barracks buildings simply does not make sense owing to the layouts of the buildings, change of use permissions and adaptations required and the costs to adapt them to meet with the building standards will be well in excess of the economic value of the finished product. Furthermore we feel the main barracks can become a superb commercial / education / cultural space without the need for living space therein and the complications that can arise from mixing these uses in buildings and locations like these,” the chamber stated in its submission.

The chamber also proposes that a museum that highlight's the history of the barracks as well as Mullingar's musical heritage be established, which, it says, would attract over 30,000 additional visitors to the town each year.

In total, the chamber estimates that its proposals for the barracks would generate 150 jobs and is an “unprecedented” opportunity for the town of Mullingar.

“The is a once in a hundred year opportunity for Mullingar to reposition one of our most important cultural and heritage sites into a position to deliver development for the town that is unprecedented in terms of capital investment in housing, education and training as well as preservation of our heritage with an economic value of over €100m to the town and its economy and the creation of over 150 long term employment opportunities in the town.”

Regeneration of Blackhall

In its submission to Westmeath County Council on the regeneration of Blackhall, the chamber said that it supports a “logical mix of uses and eventual occupiers” with a proposed break down of 50 per cent residential, 25 per cent office, 20 per cent multi-storey car park and 5 per cent retail.

Estimating that the overall project could bring an investment of up to €120m into the town, the chamber suggests that the residential side should focus on “smaller units and elderly living in the town centre in high quality accommodation”.

The chamber is proposing that 250 residential units be built in two storey blocks that could bring up to 500 to 750 new residents into the town centre. By providing housing for the elderly in smaller units, the chamber says that it would provide “accommodation options [rental/purchase depending] for people who might be keen to downsize in terms of their living accommodation”.

The chamber also proposes that the development include a four storey car park that could accommodate up to 500 vehicles, which it says would almost double the car parking capacity in the centre of the town.