New North Quays information revealed: bridge, apartments, train station, Ard Rí and more
Planning permission was officially granted to Harcourt Developments for the first phase of the North Quays Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) last month.
Significant insight into the North Quays development was offered last week by Waterford City and County Council and lead developer Harcourt.
Pat Power, Company Director at Harcourt Developments, and Michael Quinn, Director of Services at Waterford Council, provided details on the development at this month's Plenary Council meeting.
The transport hub, sustainable transport bridge, hotels, apartments and more were discussed.
€138 million has been spent to date on the development.
Pat Power, Company Director at Harcourt Developments, said last Thursday: “Four weeks ago we got planning permission and now we can advance discussions with the various stakeholders that we’re dealing with, principally on the residential and with the offices we’ll be working extensively with the IDA with attracting occupants."
Also speaking last week, Council Director of Services Michael Quinn said that significant hurdles have been overcome to bring the project to its current stage.
“There's been significant prolongation with the project. We’ve had changes of SDZ developer and Harcourt is the third developer that we have engaged with. We had Covid, we had delays with funding and planning approvals, we had a complicated procurement process for the appointment of the main contractor.”
He said that some of the more significant unforeseen changes that were required included a redesign for the southern entrance of the train station, and a complete redesign of east and west access ridges for the site from the original designs that former developer Alhokair had previously brought forward.
He added that Waterford Council has had a "very good working relationship" with BAM during the development.
The building works of the transport hub will be substantially completed by quarter two of 2026.
Following this completion, Irish Rail will commence track signaling works, which are due to be completed by quarter one of 2027.
Final commission and opening of the train station is due to take place in quarter two of 2027.
Local councillors were concerned that once the transport hub is completed, it will remain empty for up to 12 months while Irish Rail carries out signalling works.
Cllr Eamon Quinlan said: “That’s a year of the train station being substantially complete but sitting there waiting to be opened. I’m anxious to avoid a large train station being there idle for about a year to maintain public confidence in the project.”
Responding to the concern, Mr. Quinn said: “The issue we have there is the train station can’t open because the signaling equipment can’t go in until the flood defences are done so that’s created this gap.
“It will be securely managed during that time but unfortunately it will be an empty building until such time as we’re getting closer to the signaling works.”
He added that “it’s unfortunate that the timing isn’t better aligned” and that it is as a result of a nine-month delay on the An Bord Pleanala approval of flood defences.
An exciting development is that the sustainable transport bridge structure will be departing from the Victor Buyck factory in Ghent, Belgium, on May 17, subject to final technical checks and weather.
It is due to arrive at Dunmore East on May 22, will progress up river on May 23 and installation will start on May 26.
The bridge will open to the public in quarter four of 2026 and a naming process will then be announced.
Cllr Adam Wyse enquired what would happen with Plunkett Station once the new transport hub becomes operational.
Mr. Quinn said: “The offices are still occupied, the canopies above the platform are protected structures so I don’t think there’s any significant demolition options. It may be a question of what reuse could be done or put into that particular location, which is something we’ll consider in due course.”
Regarding the future of the Ard Rí, which is overlooking the development, Mr Quinn said: “That has only concluded relatively recently in terms of the legal case and there are proposals being considered by the developer and owner and we’ll hope to see something come forward. If not it becomes a planning issue from the point of view of being a vacant site and that’s something that will be looked at.”
The elimination of the previously planned electric shuttle bus that was to provide transport across the sustainable transport bridge has been a cause of concern for locals.
Cllr Joe Kelly said: “It seems to me to be a real opportunity missed and how that’s been allowed to happen is beyond me. It’s a real thorn in the side of everyone in this city.”
Pat Power said in response that if demand is high, some form of transport may still be warranted.
“It’s very simple, it's if the demand requires it. It’s like opening a sweet shop, if there’s somebody passing to buy sweets, you open a sweet shop.
“I have been involved in schemes like the Titanic Quarter and Park West, where we have car sharing, buses, trains, and the Luas. All that happens when you have a critical mass of people.
“I do think when you have a mass of people and you have a high velocity of people coming through that train station it warrants something.”
Speaking on the apartments that will be available within the six newly constructed blocks, Mr. Power said: “There will be a large element of social and affordable housing, for certain.”
The train station will have an accompanying car park with 200 spaces available. Additionally, there is provision for parking under the apartments for use by residents. There is also provision for parking on the left side of the site for the hotel.
“There's more than adequate parking for the overall development,” Mr. Quinn said.
Regarding the operation of the hotel and aparthotel, Mr. Power said that there has been a number of approaches from hoteliers since planning permission was granted a number of weeks ago.
“We do operate hotels ourselves, but between ourselves and potential operators that have approached us that’s what we would be focusing on," he said.
