Cllr Michael Crowe has welcomed the decision by the Galway City Council to grant planning permission for a major redevelopment in the city centre.
The old Connacht Tribune site on Market Street will be renovated with the Portershed to be a major tenant.
In recent years the Portershed, a coworking and collaborative space for technology focused innovation driven enterprises, has enabled businesses to prosper in the west of Ireland.
“Amongst all the doom and gloom around now this is a very positive day for Galway city,” Cllr Crowe says.
“The major tenant for this development will be the Portershed. They have been based in their current location in Ceannt Station for years, but they now have to move out of there.
“I felt it was imperative that we do all we could to try to keep them in the city and that a suitable site be found. Thankfully, this will now happen, and I expect there will be an expansion of the current Portershed which will be in the heart of Galway and close to the third level institutes.”
Cllr Crowe is adamant that Galway will benefit significantly. “The Portershed has historically helped create many fruitful businesses and jobs,” Cllr Crowe adds.
“It has been a springboard to success for many start-ups. For example, the highly successful and reputable company, Genesys/Altocloud started in the Porterhouse, gradually grew within and ultimately leaving to set up on its own site. It has now grown to phenomenal levels, creating many hundreds of jobs.
“Importantly the company remains based in Galway city contributing significantly to the economic activity in the town. I see this as protecting and creating hundreds of jobs in the city in the short and long term.”
Cllr Crowe believes that this will help to ‘revitalise’ Galway. “This is a prime example of why it was very important that these planning applications got the go ahead,” Cllr Crowe continues.
“Now more than ever we need to work to revitalise the heart of the city, to bring people back into the city centre to work and shop. To see large operations such as Portershed relocating in this manner is a great boost.
“I am confident for any city and its hinterland to thrive the heart of that city must be buzzing. This has been the way in Galway for decades. As the year progresses, Covid will begin to pass and we need now to work hard to get that buzz back.
“People have always been attracted to come to Galway for the well known reasons such as the arts and our geographical location beside the sea. These have been the magnets of attraction.
“However, what I think is sometimes under appreciated is the retail and hospitality offerings we have to offer down the spine of the town, from Bohermore right down to the Spanish Arch. This is important ingredient in the decision-making process for people when they come to work and live in Galway and this development will also help protect these offerings.”
